


A Force of Heart

by nealinor



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Star Wars Setting, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Bartender!Kevin, Bisexual Dean Winchester, Bounty Hunters, Brutal Dejarik piece death, Dean's bad at Dejarik, Drunk Castiel, Drunk Dean, Frottage, Hand Jobs, Hutts, Jedi!Cas, M/M, Oral Sex, POV Alternating, Slicer!Charlie, Slow Burn, Smuggler!Dean, What the hell is Sam
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-10
Updated: 2017-07-20
Packaged: 2018-10-02 07:17:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 23
Words: 88,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10212365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nealinor/pseuds/nealinor
Summary: A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...Jedi Knight Castiel Novak has barely escaped with his life after the issue of Order 66. With the Jedi order decimated and no safety to be found, Castiel learns he must move quickly and often in order to protect his identify. When he becomes stuck on the war torn planet of Balmorra,  he discovers that he must put his trust (and the remainder of his credits) into the hands of the Winchester brothers in order to escape the planet. The trouble is, the brothers appear to be involved in something illegal. Unfortunately, Castiel has run out of choices. Is he sealing his fate or is this the will of the Force?





	1. 66 Reasons to Disappear

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!  
> First and foremost, I'd like to thank the lovely [Andromytta](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Andromytta/pseuds/Andromytta%20) for being my beta and cheering me on. The title of this story was developed based on an idea she gave to me. 
> 
> This is my first fic posted to AO3 and also my first Destiel fanfiction. I'll be tagging as I go so the rating might increase and characters will be added as they enter into the story. I tagged graphic violence just to be on the safe side as there will be violence but I'm not sure how graphic I'll be about that. 
> 
> I'll try to update in a timely fashion, but I'm also a graduate student and sometimes my time is short. Don't worry, I won't forget to finish this story.
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to check it out!

It had been 45 days, 16 hours, 11 minutes, and 38 seconds since radio silence. Castiel had been on Corellia, on an assignment that was little more than looking into rumors. All told, it was a far cry from his latest missions on the front which made it preferable for its ease. That had been before. Before it had been issued and everything that he’d come to know and hold dear had been obliterated and washed from the galaxy trash. A bitter snort escaped as he walked, shoulders hunched, down a street lined with troopers. The air on Balmorra was acrid with the smoke of burned buildings and bodies. Always a lovely way to start the morning.

Castiel watched his boots as he walked along the pitted streets, keeping just enough awareness about him to prevent any unnecessary jostling of the few others who had ventured out. The sunlight was pale and watery through the grey skies. He couldn’t tell if it was rain or another town being razed in the distance. The boots were brown and leather, tall enough to reach his knees but were hidden under his loose slacks. By all rights, he should have ditched them on Corellia like all the rest. But he’d been wearing this sort of boot since he’d been a child. _Sentimentality_ , he thought, _is going to get me killed._

He’d been standing next to his companion for the mission when Order 66 was given. Inias was a newly minted knight and had been sent with Castiel, who’d been a knight for years, to ease him carefully into the life of a Jedi sans Master. They’d been doing nothing more interesting then comparing the virtues of two cantinas on the other side of the causeway when the two troopers with them swung their blasters and began to fire. Both knights had dodged in different directions; Castiel to the right, Inias to the left. In seconds, Castiel had ignited his saber and parried the next three blaster bolts. One bolt ricocheted back into the trooper who fired it. He’d searched for Inias and laid eyes on the young knight across the causeway now, having dealt with the other trooper. More troopers were cresting the hilltop before them, marching down the tree light metropolis streets towards them. His comlink crackled. _“We’ll have to split up.”_ Inias’s voice was soft with a slight trepidation. _“Don’t worry about me, I was raised on these streets. I’ll be fine.”_ The young knight disappeared down a sewer drain. It was the last he’d seen of the young man.

Castiel had been a knight for more than a decade at this point. He’d made his way to the space port and had left Corellia after ditching all of his clothes. The robe had hurt the most. He’d stood in front of the open incinerator for far too long with the brown fabric curled in his fingers before he’d shoved it in. He still felt naked without it. The nondescript tan duster he know wore was a far cry from his Jedi robe. It still concealed his saber, but again, he’d grown so used to the robe that it seemed as though he’d shed his skin.

After a multitude of short hyperspace jumps on any ship that would let him board for a few credits. He would leave the ship where ever it landed and then do it again. He’d gleaned information on his journey. First, he knew that the Republic had declared the Jedi to be traitors and had them exterminated. He had no clue if any were still alive beyond himself. He hoped Inias had made it off Corellia. For now, however, he needed to focus on getting off Balmorra before the Republic bombed the Separatists (and civilians) into oblivion. He’d been stuck there for close to three weeks without finding another freighter, smuggler, or passenger ship with room for him aboard. Every day, another town was bombed. People died. The air hung with a veneer of smoke that never seemed to go away.

Today, however, he had a sliver of hope. There was a freighter docked that was rumored to take on passengers if the price was right. Castiel had credits and if it got him off of this planet, then he would pay whatever these freighters asked.

*****

Dean was officially annoyed. It wasn’t that his brother had kicked him out of a perfectly warm bed at ass o’clock in the morning. It wasn’t that Sam had given him that prissy attitude regarding last night’s drinking and fling with that twi’lek dancer chick. It was more that Sam had done all of this, forced him to dress and get ready to leave Balmorra hours before they agreed upon, then had dragged him for a meeting into the cantina near the space port and hadn’t let him drink. So Dean did what any self-respecting galactic smuggler would do at a time like this: he sulked. He was mumbling under his breath with his arms crossed over his chest and shooting visual dagger at _Samantha’s_ back while he was busy talking to the bartender when the cantina door opened. For a moment, the person entering was silhouetted by the gray light outside, which honestly was still brighter than what the cantina had to offer.

Dean squints as the shape of a person coalesces into an actual person. The guy has dark hair that looks like he had a wild night and didn’t bother to brush it this morning. Otherwise, Dean has an impression of dark scruff, pink lips and blue eyes. He’s aware that he is being scrutinized as well. He gives the newcomer a lazy grin and stretches out his legs so he is leaning back in his chair. He’s dressed in a black leather jacket with a loose fitting grey shirt and black pants that are cut near enough that he can move without being restricted. He doesn’t hide the belt at his waist that holds a blaster for all to see. It’s not his only one, it’s the only visible one. Dean is somewhat pleased by the way those blue eyes crawl over his form then jerk away. He suspects the guy blushes. His grin widens. Dean begins to look the man over again, this time not bothering to hide it. He takes in the ugliest tan duster coat he’s ever seen over a white button down shirt, a navy blue vest and matching slacks. These are layered over what looks to be a dark brown pair of boots. If so, they are mostly covered by the pants. It gives the impression of a cross between a tax accountant and a cowboy. Dean’s impressed, he didn’t think such a thing existed. Live and learn.

He ducks his head to the stranger and glances to Sam, who hasn’t noticed the newcomer and is still talking to the bartender. Looks like it’s up to Dean for now. “You the one looking for a ride off this mud ball?” He asks, crossing his ankles and stretching up indolently, still giving the stranger a smarmy grin. He’s pleased when the other man blushes again. This is _too_ easy.

“Yes.”

The man’s voice is soft but has a deep timber that makes Dean think of gravel and smoke. It does something to him. With just one word, Dean finds himself interested. He sits up and leans towards the man, one eyebrow raised to invite more comment. None comes. The moment draws out as the man stares at Dean, his blue eyes seeming to gaze past the veneer he present to the world and into the inner depths of him. It’s as disturbing as it is compelling. Dean clears his throat and tries again.

“Where are you going?”

“Anywhere but here.” Is the terse reply.

Dean barks a shocked laugh. “I hear that.” He shrugs. It’s not really his job to pry. He just flies the ship. Sam’s the brains of the outfit. “Dean Winchester.”

He offers a hand and isn’t really surprised when the stranger looks at it curiously before he takes it. His hand is warm and calloused against Dean’s palm. He considers this, knowing the callouses are wrong for blaster use but he can’t place what they are from. Up close, he can see the vague outline of muscle under the baggy clothes. With the callouses, the clothes and the way the fellow’s eyes dart around the cantina, Dean guesses this guy is used to fighting but doesn’t want others to know. Curious.

“Castiel Novak.” The stranger, Castiel, shakes Dean’s hand once and then releases him.

“So, Cas...” Dean glances at the man and notes that he stiffens with the shortening of his name. Their eyes meet and Castiel, now Cas, shrugs. Dean continues.

“How much are you willing to pay to get off this rock?” Castiel licks his lips, his eyes flicking to Sam’s back before returning to Dean. “Your brother quoted me a price of 1500 credits.”

Dean nodded sagely, his eyes narrowing faintly. That was quite a sum. This guy must be desperate to leave Balmorra. It’s enough that Dean can almost hear the alarm bells. Cas is staring at him so Dean meets his gaze and stares back. It becomes a contest almost, and unfortunately, Dean breaks away first. Man, that guy can stare.

“Running from something?” Dean asks, breaking the heavy silence between them.

“I was under the impression that the high cost insured no questions were asked.” Cas shoots back coolly.

Dean shifts in his chair, once again trying to get a good read on the guy across from him. It’s more difficult than expected. He opens his mouth to say something when Sam’s hand comes down on his shoulder.

“You’re right, of course.” Sam placates the dark haired man, always being the voice of reason. “Sam Winchester.” He offers his hand to Castiel.

Dean snorts and jumps back into the conversation. “Sam, this is Cas. Cas, my brother Sam.” He butts in as if they needed him to affect introductions.

Sam flicks an annoyed gaze at Dean before coming back to Castiel. “I take it since you are here, you’d like to join us?”

“Yes, if you still have space.” Castiel reaches slowly into his coat pocket and withdraws a credit stick, which he hands to Sam. “All is in order.”

Sam slides the stick into his data pad, taps it a few times and nods. “Good. If you are ready, we will head straight to the spaceport.”

If Dean were drinking, he would have choked. They filed a flight plan yesterday in which they were leaving shortly before noon. It’s barely 8 o’clock in the morning.

“Sam…” Dean looks between the two of them. He wonders what it is Sam knows that he doesn’t. This isn’t new, Sam often knows things that he keeps from Dean. It pisses Dean off.

“If we file a new flight plan, it may look suspicious.” This is obvious, at least to Dean. He’s been smuggling for years at this point and while Sam has picked up the art admirably, he’s still new to the game. “But what do I know, I’m just the pilot.”

Across from him, Castiel seems to startle but by the time Dean gets a good look, the guy is perfectly calm. Dean wonders if he actually saw it or if it was his imagination. After all, the dude is so stiff he might as well be a droid.

“I don’t mind waiting.” Castiel says slowly.

Dean reads between the lines on this. The man doesn’t want notice and he’ll bend whatever plans he has to make this so. Dean is suspicious, but when he looks into those blue eyes, he feels a strange calm flow over him. He wants to trust Cas, he just doesn’t know why.

“I suggest we go to the ship and prep it for departure.” Sam says, turning to Dean and holding his gaze for a moment.

Dean shrugs. “That won’t garner attention.” He rises to his feet. If he isn’t going to get a drink then they might as well blow this popsicle stand. “Come on.”

*****

Castiel has no clue what to make of his erstwhile companions. He’s not sure if he should care about this or not; he’s fairly certain that they are engaged in illegal activity but then, having him aboard their ship also constitutes as illegal activity. He watches both of the men as he follows behind them. They are a stark contrast to each other: Sam is tall and reasonable with soft eyes and voice that encourages trust while Dean is all smooth talk and innuendos over a solid core that seems grounded in hard won knowledge built through struggle. Also, the man has lips that look enticingly kissable. As Castiel has never kissed anyone before, he’s not quite certain where the last thought came from. Shaking his head to clear it, he focuses himself on his surroundings. The Balmorran streets are still silent with few out at this hour so the way to the space port is clear. They pass two clone troopers standing at the entrance who simply nod them through without taking much of an interest. It took him weeks to remain uncaring when he passed them in the streets. A part of him always worried that they were looking for him specifically and discovery would mean his death. Maybe it would be better that way.

It was a short walk through the silent space port to the docking bay where the Winchesters had left their ship. There was a brief pause as Sam swiped his identification card to unlock the doors to the bay and then they were inside. Once through, Dean turned to seal and lock the doors behind him. He glanced to Castiel and their eyes met for a brief moment.

“Just precaution.” Dean says with a shrug and brushes past Castiel, who belatedly realizes that he was staring.

Castiel hadn’t meant to stare; it was something he always did when faced with something he couldn’t quite understand or was curious about. He had an impression that if he just looked long enough, the mystery would become clear to him. In this case, he was beginning to understand that Dean was an interesting case of contradictions. The pilot had a devil may care attitude that was belied by moments of caution, such as locking the bay doors behind them. Castiel also noticed that Dean’s eyes were impossibly green – which was neither here nor there, of course.

They rounded a corner and Castiel got his first look at the ship. It was an old Corellian freighter of some sort that had seen better days; the hull had a well-worn appearance of a ship that had been around the galaxy a time or two. Possibly it was old enough to have once belonged to the Winchester’s father. Painted on the nose were the serial code: KAZ 2Y5. Castiel wasn’t impressed and his expression must have clearly showed this.

“We’ve had a couple of bad runs recently.” Dean said by way of explanation as he continued towards the ship. “She doesn’t have to be pretty to be fast.” When he drew alongside the ship, he patted the dull metal fondly. “Don’t listen to him, Baby. You’re always beautiful to me.” With this, Dean tossed a grin over his shoulder to Castiel and disappeared up the loading ramp into the ship.

Sam passed Castiel, patting his shoulder in the process. “She’ll get us where we need to go.” He assured before boarding the ship as well.

Castiel sighed and followed them up the ramp and into the ship. It was likely true, Corellian ships were known to be fast but also well armored for a vehicle of its size. This said to him that the Winchesters were used to a little danger in their line of work. Again, Castiel is uncertain if this is a good thing or a bad thing. He glances around at the interior as he enters into what is clearly a commons area. A table is central to the room and is surrounded in part by a curving booth. On the table is an open Dejarik match that has been paused. It’s clear that the winner is beating the other player by a wide margin. Across the room is a holonet station that is currently on and displaying the galactic news. It’s mostly been the same, the separatists are rapidly losing the war and Chancellor Palpatine is promising that peace will be returned to the galaxy in no time at all. There is no mention of Jedi or Jedi survivors. It’s a relief these days; the universe has forgotten about him and his kind.

Melancholy passes over Castiel and he wonders about his friends and colleagues. Are any of them still alive? What of the children in the temple? What were their fates? Where are the Masters? Could it be possible that someone as strong and wise as Master Yoda could be killed by this madness? He sincerely hoped he was not the only survivor. Thinking of it made his stomach twist unpleasantly and after a moment, he sat gingerly on the edge of the booth near the Dejarik table and stared at the moving pictures on the holonet screen.

“Hey man, are you alright?”

Dean’s voice startled Castiel out of his reverie and he found himself looking directly into the pilot’s eyes. Funny, he hadn’t noticed the gold ring at the edge of his pupils before. He nods to indicate that he heard and is fine before licking his lips.

“I haven’t seen the news in some time.” He said, giving a meager excuse for his inattention.

“Crazy, isn’t it?” Dean said, casting a glance at the screen before turning to check the panel near the door. “I don’t know what everyone sees in this Palpatine guy. I mean, doesn’t it seem a little too easy. All of a sudden everything’s under control after years of struggle?” The man shrugs before activating the code sequence that will close up the ship. The loading ramp begins to fold up with a hydraulic hiss. “Look, if you don’t mind, we could use an extra hand prepping for take-off. That way, we can blow this joint the moment our flight plan dictates.”

Castiel nods and rises to follow Dean. He doesn’t mind helping out as it’ll keep him from unpleasant thoughts. The bottom line is that he’s leaving Balmorra, that’s something good. It hardly matters right now that the galaxy has been turned on its head and no longer has a place for Castiel in it. Right now, he can be useful, even if it isn’t though the Force. Who knows? Perhaps the Force has willed Castiel to be here, in this place at this time. 

"Tell me what to do.”


	2. Small Comforts in Cold Space

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Dude is a little weird.” Sam tosses him a look. “Okay, he’s a lot weird.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3 will be going up in the next day or so. I suspect posting will be slower after that. Once again, beta provided by the beautiful Andromytta.

The preparations for take-off had gone well. So well, that after the run of horrid luck he’d had, Castiel could scarcely believe it. In the short space of time he’d had to help the Winchesters prepare for take-off, he’d discover that he quite liked both of them. This, in itself, was something of a surprise as Castiel had never been a people person and was never sent on diplomatic missions because the Masters had said that his “people skills were rusty”. Castiel’s fairly certain he heard Master Windu mutter the word ‘non-existent’ under his breath. There’s little Castiel can say about it because it’s true. He’s not good with people, he has a hard time discerning whether they mean what was said or if it was a colloquialism that he simply doesn’t know. He finds that this is troublesome with Dean who seems to communicate in references he doesn’t understand but at least the pilot rolls his eyes and explains where the reference came from, if not the reference itself.

While they worked, Castiel had spent his time observing the brothers, who worked like clockwork together and groused in the comfortable way that very old friends do. It makes him think of Balthazar; whom was the closest thing to a best friend he had and also had annoyed him to no end. He missed the man terribly and feared that he was now dead. The path those thoughts led down was melancholy and so he left it alone, taking the time to mentally recite the Jedi’s code to find his center again.

_There is no Emotion, there is Peace._

_There is no Ignorance, there is Knowledge._

_There is no Passion, there is Serenity._

_There is no Chaos, there is Harmony._

_There is no Death, there is the Force._

Calm seeped into his bones as he went over the words that were as familiar to him as breathing. The words of the code were his backbone and in times of uncertainty, he flung himself upon their comfort. He took a deep breath and turned his eyes back to the two in the cockpit before him but just as he did so, he could hear a taunting voice in the back of his mind. _‘Bullocks!’_ His next breath was more sigh than anything else as he closed his eyes and wished with all his might that Balthazar, for all his irreverence, had survived the purge.

“You okay back there?” Dean’s voice pulled him out of his introspection.

Castiel redirected himself to the stars before them as they bled into wisps of light the moment the craft made the jump to hyperspace. Something tugged at the edge of his senses, the Force swirled ahead of him, drawing his attention away from the Winchesters for a moment as he tried to discern what it was telling him. The feeling faded as quickly as it had begun. He glanced at Sam, who was unbuckling his seat belt and getting up to leave the cockpit. As he passed Castiel, Dean swiveled around in the Captain’s chair to look at Castiel.

“Alright then. Now that we are in hyperspace it’ll take us three days to get to Tatooine. I hope you brought a book or something.” Dean’s lips twisted into a grin as he said this, his eyebrows raising in curiosity.

Of course, Castiel had no books. In fact, he only had a change of socks, clean underwear, a datapad, and a wrapped cube in his backpack. This was all he had to his name at the moment. The remainder of his credits would be given to the Winchesters when they arrived on Tatooine. What he would do there or where he would go remained a mystery to him: one he preferred not to think about. “I’m certain I can manage. If there’s a quiet place for me to go, I’ll meditate.”

Dean’s expression communicated that there was a great many things he would do before he considered meditation. He shrugged. “To each his own.” He reached out and gave Castiel’s knee a pat before rising to his feet. “Come on, man. I’ll show you to your quarters.”

Castiel let Dean pass before he got up and followed him through the common area of the ship. He nods to Sam, who was considering the Dejarik board. They pass through a short, curving corridor that looks like it once was well lit, but several of the overhead lights have since burned out, giving it a somewhat dark air. Strangely, Castiel still feels comfortable following after Dean. He couldn’t say why, but he feels safe here. It’s the first time since the order was given. He knows it won’t last, that Sam and Dean would likely turn on him for being what he was, but he can’t quite make himself push the sense of comfort away. It will be glorious to just sleep without worrying that he’ll awaken to a blaster to his head.

“Here you go.” Dean stops and indicates a room to their right. “This is the passenger’s cabin. She’s all yours.”

Castiel looks into the room, which is decently sized. In fact, it’s bigger than his room back at the Jedi temple. “This is a luxury.”

Dean gives him a disbelieving look. “Are you some kind of monk or something?”

“Some kind.” Castiel agrees and steps into the room. “Thank you, Dean.”

“Uh, yeah, sure.” Dean scratches the back of his head, a motion that seems to indicate discomfort of some sort. Castiel wonders what he did wrong.

“So, dinner will be around 1900, okay?” Dean looks at Castiel. Castiel looks at Dean. There is, in fact, a great deal of staring. “Um…so yeah.”

Dean’s voice breaks the spell and Castiel gives him a polite nod before closing the door. Once alone, he makes his way to the bed to sit on its edge. It’s softer than any bed he’s ever slept on. Jedi life isn’t full of comfort and nice things. He tugs his boots off and falls back on the bed. This room is softly lit and comfortable. There’s a refresher in the corner that’s all his for now. With a sigh, he closes his eyes. He should take the time to fold his legs and commune with the Force. He should. He knows this. The Force isn’t tugging at him now and so he closes his eyes and sleeps.

*****

Dean turns around and heads back towards the cockpit after Cas closes the door. He has no clue what is up with that guy. He’s definitely weird. Harmless weird, but still weird. He peeks into the cockpit to make sure everything is all good there before heading back to where Sam is sitting at the holotable.

Sam glances up at him as he slides into the opposite chair. “Everything alright?”

“Yeah, fine.” Dean says, reaching up for one of his pieces before drawing his hand back and reconsidering his move. It hardly matters, Sam always wins. “Dude is a little weird.” Sam tosses him a look. “Okay, he’s a lot weird.”

Sam shakes his head, shaggy hair swaying in a way that temps Dean into finding his clippers. “I know. I can’t get a read on him.”

Dean’s eyes snap up onto Sam. This is notable. Sam is damn good at getting a read on people. He knows who’s lying and who’s a cheat. Half the time, Sam’s ducking before the shot is even fired. It boggles Dean’s mind. He can’t do that shit. “Really? Should we toss him out the airlock?”

Sam turns on his bitch face. “No, Dean.” On a scale of 1 to 10, it’s only about a 3 as bitch faces go. “Look, I just get a weird feeling around him. I don’t think he’s dangerous …to us.”

“But he is dangerous?” Dean isn’t buying it. The dude looks like an accountant hooked up with a cowboy for a wild night.

“It’s hard to say but I get the feeling that he could be dangerous if pressed.” Sam shrugs. “At the same time, I think he should be here.” He takes in Dean’s face and keeps going. “I don’t know, Dean. It just feels right. At the same time… well, I don’t know.” He falls silent.

Dean sighs. Sam’s always been that way. He has thoughts and feelings about this or that. Most of the time, he’s right. “What the hell does that even mean?” He picks up a different piece and places it.

“I wish I knew.” Sam promptly moves one of his pieces, which obliterates the piece Dean just moved.

“Son of a bitch!”

*****

The next three days pass pleasantly. It’s confirmed to Castiel that he indeed likes both of the Winchester brothers. Sam is well read and highly versed in galactic history and politics and they discuss a great many things. Castiel gets more information about the state of the galaxy from Sam than from any news source he’s found. Dean has a raucous sense of humor and a quick wit. He makes Castiel watch several movies about a man that digs for treasures on various planets around the galaxy. There are many explosions and beautiful women, neither of which interest Castiel, but it makes Dean smile; and Castiel likes that…a lot.

Castiel has come to find that he quite enjoys Dean’s company. There are many things that they don’t have in common and yet, they seem to get along despite this. Castiel could listen to Dean talk for hours. There’s something bright and warm about the man’s eyes that draws him in. He’s been told he’s sitting too close twice now.

Sam is not quite as comforting because he is also an anomaly. At first, Castiel hadn’t connected the events together. Then a pattern emerged: he’d feel the Force pull at his senses and then he’d find Sam. He’d be playing Dejarik with Dean or looking over star charts. Sometimes he would be reading from a datapad, which Castiel later discovered was what they used to plan their next job. (Castiel had found two different secret compartments on the ship that were full of goods, confirming his suspicions that they were into some sort of illegal activity.) He suspects that Sam is using the Force. He’d been careful in his interactions with Sam from then on out. Listening carefully to his words, paying attention to the Force as they spoke, Castiel tried to tease out if it was true. He did everything in his power without actually reaching out with the Force itself. The only thing he had truly confirmed was that Sam didn’t know he was doing it, if in fact he was using the Force.

At first, he’d wondered how this could happen. After all, the Jedi were diligent to collect young force users to bring them into the temple to be taught. However, as he lingered in their presence, he learned that Sam and Dean had been brought up in this ship by their father and rarely stayed in one place for too long. If that was the case, then it would be quite easy for the Jedi to miss them. The boys would never have been examined by a Jedi. So, Sam went untrained. The danger of this astounded Castiel. He’d heard tell that people could touch the force all their lives and never know it but that way… it would be so easy to fall without training. He’s mystified that Sam has managed to do it. At the same time, it also doesn’t surprise him. If there’s anything he’s learned about the Winchesters, it’s that they are determined with untold will. He admires them for that.

Castiel passes his time communing with the Force through meditation and getting to know his hosts. He plays Dejarik with Dean without using the Force to help him and loses spectacularly. (Dean had preened about it for the rest of the day, which made the loss worth it.) Sam kept giving him a look he didn’t understand after that. He watched Dean in the kitchen and argued with Sam over the news. He talked philosophy with Sam and watched Holo-videos with Dean. A fragile peace settled over them and wrapped them up. Castiel wished he could enjoy it for a little while longer.

That was not to be. On the morning of the fourth day, a beep from the cockpit warned them that they were about to leave hyperspace. They all filed into their seats and buckled in. Dean took the controls as they slide back into the galaxy. Tatooine was before them with its suns; a brown orb that was well known for its lawlessness. Castiel could easily lose himself there. He’d be beyond the reach of the Republic and Chancellor Palpatine. The thought of being on his own again made his stomach drop. He had never thought about how much he’d been around other people before, even if he wasn’t good with them. There were many in the temple and Jedi often took missions in twos. Being alone was actually a rarity.

It was strange that he’d become so attached to the two brothers in so few days. Castiel tried to examine that; however, the Force pulled sharply at his senses and his vision swirled then righted itself once more. The tug from the Force grew stronger as they made their landing approach. A sense of foreboding settled in his gut. He didn’t know what it meant but there was one thing that was clear: Tatooine would not be a safe place for any of them. Knowing this, could he really leave Sam and Dean? Had the Force truly brought him here for a purpose? He didn’t know. There was only one truth he had now and he said it aloud for them all to hear.

“I have a bad feeling about this.”


	3. The Force Moves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "What the hell are you? Some kind of yoga guru?” 
> 
> “Some kind.” Castiel agrees.

“I have a bad feeling about this.”

The moment Castiel uttered those words, Sam felt his head spin. The bridge faded in and out. He began to sweat as he groaned softly. This had happened before and it always left him out of commission with a blinding headache. He couldn’t afford that now and scrambled to make it stop, his fingers flexing as he gripped the co-pilot’s chair. His effort didn’t matter, it hit him with the force of a freight train. Visions flashed before his eyes: a Hutt, an armored bounty hunter, clone troopers, all in rapid sequence before stopping with a final sight. Dean with blood running down his face and pale. His stomach turned sharply. It was only by force of will that he didn’t retch.

“Sam?” Dean’s voice came from him over a distance. “Sammy?” He felt a hand push his shoulder, shaking him lightly.

A moment later, he feels another hand on his shoulder. It’s much cooler than Deans. “Sam?” That’s Cas.

Sam tries to force words. “I’m fine.” He tells him, but the words are slurred to his ears. When he looks at Dean, his brother seems far away. Distantly, he’s aware of the sound of a belt being undone and then a second. There’s a faint scuffle.

“Dean, you have to fly the ship. I’ll care for Sam.” Castiel’s voice is closer than Deans. His request sounds reasonable. Sam tries to say something to Dean but nothing comes out.

“Dammit!” Dean sounds like he might be yelling. It’s hard to tell.

The visions flash before Sam’s eyes still. He’s having trouble keeping track of them. It’s never been like this before. Usually he sees a flash of one image, a still picture that he has to puzzle over until he sees it. This is different. There are many of them. Some string together while others are non-sequiturs juxtaposed together. He sees the bounty hunter firing on them but then, he sees the clone troopers doing the same. It’s as if Tatooine is going to be a hail of blaster bolts and blood. This time he does wretch. A groan escapes his lips. Conversation swirls around his head.

“Fly the ship, Dean.”

“Fine.” A pause. “If anything happens to him, anything at all, I will kill you.”

“I understand.”

Just as he is wondering how Cas can be so calm in the face of those threats, he feels a cool touch against his forehead. It startles him and his eyes jerk forwards, turning up to see Cas leaning over him. He’s staring into those blue eyes which exude calm. “Sam, I want you to take a deep breath. You’re hyperventilating.”

Is he? Shit! He is. Sam follows Cas’s instructions and forces himself to suck a deep breath in.

“Good.” The cool feeling is spreading out from the point where Cas’s fingers touch his forehead. He feels it sliding over his cheeks and towards his lips. “I want you to focus.”

_Focus? On what?_ Even as the thought skims the surface of his mind, Cas is talking to him again. “Focus here.” His fingers tap the center of Sam’s forehead, just between his eyes.

Sam’s head has cleared just enough that he can whine “Hurts” to Cas.

“I know it hurts. It will feel better soon. Focus”

Sam’s eyes flutter closed as he focuses on the point of contact between them. There is something there, a connection of a sort that he finds hard to define. Recognition, maybe? All he truly knows is that it seems as if cool waves pass over his skin, emanating from Castiel’s fingers. To his senses it’s like watching light from underneath water, soft blue light rippling over him to ease away the strain and unease replacing it with calm.

“Good. Has it stopped?”

“Yes, it’s stopped.” Sam’s voice is surprised but clear. He feels like he’s floating on the current that passes from Cas to him. The visions have stopped. The panic is gone. All that is left is a soothing calm, as if he’s centered inside himself. He can feel a strange light blossom from inside of him. It pulses in the gut, dimming slowly as it fades. He knows it’s not gone, it’s just sleeping inside him. At this moment, he doesn’t fear it.

“Your brow is wrinkled. Are you in pain?”

He is. Underneath the cool ripples of whatever Cas is doing, he can feel the familiar throb in his head that always comes after the visions. “Yes.”

“Then rest.”

Sam’s eyes are already closed, but now his body relaxes and he slides off into darkness without fear.

*****

“What… what did you do?” Dean’s voice behind him jars Castiel out of the meditative state he’d put himself in. Sam had been pulling in the Force wildly and had panicked, creating a tiny vortex in the Force around him. The likelihood of Sam hurting himself or one of them was quite high so Castiel had done what was necessary. Now he had to explain it to Dean without being killed. He turns to the pilot with his features schooled into the calm mask of the Jedi, which amply hides the trepidation he feels.

“I helped him to calm himself through meditation.” This was vaguely true. He’d only used to the Force to heal some of the damage the Force vortex had caused and to encourage Sam to calm down. It was barely a trickle.

“Meditation?!!” Dean clearly was having a hard time swallowing this. The pilot’s eyes flicked to Sam and then back to Castiel, mistrust bloomed in his gaze. “What the hell are you? Some kind of yoga guru?”

“Some kind.” Castiel agrees, nodding his head as if this explains everything. He doesn’t truly know what to do. He’s terrible at lying. “You can see Sam is fine now.” He steps to the side so Dean can see his brother.

The pilot reaches out to run his fingers over Sam’s shoulder, the leans further to press the back of his hand to his brother’s forehead. He draws back, his brows crinkling as he turns back to the ship controls. “Get in your seat. We’re landing.”

“Of course.” Castiel says as he sits in his seat and buckles himself in once more. There’s a momentary silence as Dean maneuvers’ the ship and sends their transponder codes to the ship control on the planet below. A moment later they are confirmed to land.

Castiel opens his lips to speak, then carefully chooses his words. “I gather… that this isn’t the first time this has happened to Sam.” It could be a rhetorical statement. Of course, he wants Dean to answer. He’s not disappointed.

Dean runs a hand through his hair as he releases a breath. “Yeah. It’s been happening for a while. He has these spells. He’ll, I don’t know, see something. Sometimes the shit he sees happens.” Dean glances over his shoulder at Castiel. “We don’t know why.”

Of course they wouldn’t. Only a Jedi could have explained it, but looking at Dean and then at Sam, he decides that this isn’t the time for a big reveal and explanation regarding the ways of the Force.

“I’ve heard of such things before.” He says finally, glancing up to meet Dean’s eyes briefly. He’s willing the pilot to relax and let it go for now. The last thing he wants is for Dean to demand to know who and what he is.

The Force smiles on him and the pilot’s shoulders sag. “Glad it’s not just us, I guess.”

Castiel is so relieved that the topic is dropped that he almost sighs with it. He knows that this isn’t the last he’ll hear of it but for now, they stop talking altogether. Castiel counts it as a blessing.

*****

Dean’s eyes leave the dark haired man sitting in the one passenger chair behind the pilot and co-pilot seat. Next to him, Sam is clearly sleeping. His brother snores softly, completely oblivious to the troubles of the world around him. Dean’s fingers pause on the next switch he needs to throw to start their descent through Tatooine’s atmosphere. Between Cas’s ominous words and Sam’s spell, Dean doesn’t think it’s a good idea to land on the desert planet right now. On the other hand, he’s got to consider that they have several thousand credits worth of goods smuggled out of the Republic on the order of the Hutts. When it came to endangering their lives, Dean would gladly risk his own but became more and more conservation as the risk grew and threatened to transfer to Sam. Already, he could see the risks to his brother through the fit. That both Sam and Cas had trepidation about the planet gave Dean a major amount of pause. He threw the switch. Cas gave him no explanations and Sam was out of it and couldn’t tell him why he shouldn’t land. There was a good reason why he should land: double crossing the Hutts was a death sentence. They’d been lucky so far, but he wasn’t sure if they had that much luck.

He glanced at Cas without trying to be noticeable. The man wasn’t aware he was being watched; his face still held the expression of calm but there was something in his eyes that was impossibly weary. If Cas had luck at all, it had clearly run out a long while before they’d met him. Dean hadn’t really cared before, the man would be with them for one hyperspace jump. Now, however, he had to consider what had just happened with Sam. Dean had been watching Sam have those fits since they were little. After all, while Dad was out hunting bounties, it was Dean who was left aboard Baby to take care of Sam. In all those years, he’d never been able to calm Sam as efficiently as Cas had just done. Dean had no clue what that even meant.

Instead of brooding over it now (when he has no booze to aid his thinking), he pilots the ship. It takes focus to navigate the transition between galactic space into the atmosphere and finally through it. Tatooine is laid out before them as they descend, though it isn’t a particularly exciting site. Brown desert as far as the eyes can see baked under the oppressive heat of two suns. They were landing in the spaceport in Mos Eisely, and as such, the city came into view below them. Dean had been here enough times that he scarcely noticed it but Cas seemed to be watching the city with some interest.

“First time on Tatooine?” Dean asked as he directed them towards the outskirts of the town where the space port was located, carefully following the instructions given to him by the traffic directors.

“Yes.”

The man behind him didn’t elaborate further and Dean let it go. In the last couple of days, the man had been loosening up a little around them but now he seemed even more droid-like than when they first met. Was he upset about Sam’s melt down? Would he leave them the moment he opened the cargo ramp. For some reason, this alarmed Dean though he couldn’t say why. They were strangers, weren’t they? The fact that Cas had been becoming a friend didn’t really matter, did it? The guy had things to do and they likely didn’t involve guys that typically lived on the wrong side of the law.

Once they were in the docking bay with the landing gears down, Dean released his belt and then Sam’s belt. He’d get Sam into bed and then see what needed to be done. First though, he’d cut Cas loose if the guy needed to leave. He didn’t know why that made anxiety curl in his stomach. “Thanks for helping with Sam.”

“It’s no trouble.”

They stare at each other for a long moment, long enough for Dean to shift foot to foot, the uncomfortable need to say something rising.

It’s Cas who breaks the silence. “Do you want me to help you move him?” He nods his head at Sam. “Yeah man, that would be great.” Dean felt a rush of relief flood through him. Castiel seemed not particularly inclined to leave immediately and that was fine with him. He told himself that it was just until Sam was up and around. “Hey Cas?”

“Yes, Dean?”

“Welcome to Tatooine.”


	4. Foresight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam crossed his arms and looked suspiciously across the table. “You’ve been letting Dean win.”
> 
> “It makes him happy.” Cas seemed to think that this explained everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, many thanks to my beta, Andromytta.

Dean wanted to wait on the ship until Sam was awake but that simply wasn’t possible. There were formalities that had to be observed every time one entered the atmosphere of any planet; they were looser on Tatooine than on other worlds, but they still existed. After all, Jabba wanted to know everyone who came and went on the planet. So Dean left Sam under Cas’s watchful gaze for a few moments. As Dean approached the droid that had the unfortunate duty for the day, he didn’t bother to hide the grimace on his face. He hadn’t wanted to deal with Jabba the Hutt in the first place, however, the money had been good and they’d needed it badly for repairs for Baby. Smuggling wasn’t always easy and peaceful and each of them bore their scars from the lifestyle. Dean mollified himself with the thought that they weren’t hunting bounties like their father before them. John Winchester had been a force to reckon with before his death five years ago. Bounty hunting might have been a way to credits but it also came with a short lifetime.

Dean took the datapad offered to him by the droid and tapped the screen to add the bits of information that were required. He paid the docking fees for three days and marked their departure date for the two days hence. He hadn’t wanted to stay even that long however, with Sam out of commission they would need to handle most of their business tomorrow. He didn’t dare go to Jabba’s palace without backup nor did he consider the risk of leaving Sam on his own for the time it would take him to drop the goods. After everything was seen to and the droids were ushered out, he locked the bay doors behind them. He wished Sam were up to turn off the spaceports overrides. They’d just have to make due.

He returned to the ship and poked his head into Sam’s room to see his brother was asleep and the Jedi was sitting in the chair next to it. Cas didn’t seem to notice him there so Dean took the moment to observe the other man. He was sitting in the chair with one ankle braced on the opposite knee and was regarding a datapad with intense scrutiny. Cas seemed to alternate between intensity, complete calm, and confused. Dean particularly like confused because it was accompanied by a head tilt that he couldn’t help but find just a little … well, adorable. (In a manly way, of course.) At the moment, Cas was intent on whatever he was reading, the fingers of his right hand sliding through his hair in a manner that mussed it even more than it had already been (The dude rocked bed head pretty much constantly.) The way Cas was sitting had caused his duster coat (which he wore even inside) open, revealing more of the clothes beneath than Dean had ever seen before. They were pretty unremarkable all told, with the exception of the blaster holster at his belt, which was, in fact, empty. How had Dean not noticed that before. Was he really some kind of pacifist? Christ.

He cleared his throat and stepped into the room and was pleased to see surprise flit across Cas’s features for a second before it disappeared behind the calm schooling of the man’s features. “So, docking has been managed. I’ve got business to handle but I can’t really do that without Sam. How long do you think he’ll be out?”

Cas looked at Sam as he tucked the datapad back into the inner pocket of his coat. “I don’t know, Dean. I’m not a doctor.”

Dean crossed his arms over his chest and leaned his hip into the door frame to his right. He had a notion that there were a great many things they didn’t know about Cas. The man was an enigma. “Great. I’m guessing you don’t have business here, since you wanted to go anywhere but Balmorra.”

Cas nodded in confirmation. “That’s true.” He offered no further explanation however unless Dean was way off base, there was a hint of something in the man’s voice. Uncertainty? It was hard to tell. Sam, of course, would know.

“If … if you are shorthanded until Sam comes around, I don’t mind staying.” Cas surprised him with the comment. When the man’s eyes met his there was definitely some uncertainty there. “For safety, of course. I’ve heard Tatooine can be very dangerous if one is not careful.”

Dean could have scoffed because Cas didn’t even have a weapon that he could see. Still, it didn’t mean the dude wasn’t some weird martial arts monk or something, so he simply nodded. “Thanks, man. I appreciate it.”

They were still watching each other; Dean’s eyes were on Cas’s as if he could will the man to tell him some more. Cas barely blinked. Once again, Dean was the first one to turn away when the air between them became thick. “I’ll go scare up some lunch if you are good here.”

“Certainly. Thank you, Dean.”

As Dean left for the galley, he wasn’t sure what he was being thanked for.

*****

Sam woke up to the dim lights of his room. He was lying in bed, underneath the covers with his clothing still on. Only his boots had been removed. He sat up slowly and was pleased to find that the pounding behind his eyes had gone and he could think once more. His memory of what happened was hazy at best, he remembered some of what he’d seen and the sound of Cas’s voice. His stomach turned when he thought of the one vision he’d seen; the one of Dean covered in blood and turning pale. He shivered despite the warmth of the room and tossed back the covers. There was a chair next to the bed which was currently empty, however, when he started to put his feet on the floor, he found Dean sleeping there with nothing more than a pillow. He smiled despite himself. He loved his idiot brother and these moments where Dean’s care for him became evident were far less rare then one might expect.

He had no clue how long he’d been out of it, but he’s willing to guess that the day is gone just based on the fact that Dean is sleeping on the floor. For a moment, panic seizes Sam – they were supposed to have gone to deliver their goods to Jabba the Hutt so they could get off Tatooine and away from those gangsters with credits in hand. He hadn’t liked the deal in the first place, but they’d needed the money to repair the ship. Now it might go south and that could become lethal very quickly. There was a reason the Hutts were still able to operate despite everything going on in the galaxy. His stomach gave another twist as he thought of that vision – the one with Dean. Had he triggered something that could kill his brother?

With that thought in his head, he stepped around Dean and padded lightly out of the room and headed towards the common area with the galley. He’d be able to check the news and to grab a snack if his stomach ever managed to settle. Maybe he’d hear something about the Hutts while he was checking the holonet. When he rounded the corner, he was surprised to see Castiel sitting at the Dejarik table, seemingly playing a game by himself. Otherwise the room was silent. The man never looked up, but Sam had a sense that he was perfectly aware that he wasn’t alone anymore.

“Good evening, Sam.” Cas looked up from the board. The holographic pieces flickered then reset to their starting positions. “Care to play?”

Sam slowly nodded as he sat across from Cas. “Sure.” He’d seen Cas play with Dean but he always seemed to lose. Maybe he wanted to get better at it. Having slept all day, Sam wasn’t tired and the game would distract him from the worry that hovered at the back of his mind.

Between them, silence stretched. It wasn’t uncomfortable but thick, as if there was something that wasn’t being said. Sam could remember vaguely what happened earlier on the bridge, but most of that was the sound of Cas’s voice. After a very long moment, Cas picked a piece and moved it. Sam leaned back and began to contemplate his move. He glanced at Cas, who was watching the board with an intent expression.

“About this morning….” Sam started as he selected a piece and started to move it, then changed his mind to consider a little bit longer.

“Yes, Sam?” Cas’s expression was clear, his head tilted to the side in that way it did when he was confused. Sam didn’t get that sense from him now. If anything, the other man seemed to be waiting. For what, Sam wasn’t sure.

“I… thanks for helping out.” Sam decided on the piece he’d selected first and moved it. “I don’t know what you did, but it helped.”

“I did very little, Sam.” Cas was still studying the board in contemplation however, he took a moment to look up. Their eyes met over the dim blue glow of the Dejarik board. “You were distressed. I simply helped to calm you.”

Something niggled at the back of Sam’s memory; as if there was something else that he should be remembering. Nothing surfaced. “Still, it was kind of you.”

“Of course Sam.” Cas gave the barest hint of a smile before he moved his piece.

For a time, they played in silence. Sam had no idea how long they played that way however, the game was much more difficult than what he’d expected. The guy had been losing to Dean, after all. Now, however, Sam found himself significantly challenged. In fact, he wasn’t sure he would win. Cas had an interesting strategy. It left him unable to predict the other man’s moves as easily as he predicted Deans.

“Did Dean contact the Hutts this morning?” Sam asked, hoping that he would be able distract Cas from the game.

“He did.” Cas agreed, his eyes still on the game pieces. “He told them that he had arrived and asked for a meeting with the Hutt’s business manager.” He moved his piece and then looked up at Sam. “I don’t know what was arranged, but Dean wasn’t happy.”

“That’s not good.” Sam glanced at the board. Much to his frustration, Cas had not been distracted. In fact, unless Sam found a way to upset whatever strategy the dark haired man was using, he thought he might actually lose. “If he didn’t leave today, then the meet must be tomorrow.”

“I think so.” Cas’s brow furrowed for a moment, and he glanced at Sam as if there was something he had to say. Whatever it was, he seemed to still be thinking about it.

Sam moved his piece. “At least I can be there. The Hutts are no joke.”

Cas nodded sagely. “Are you sure… you two will be alright?”

This seemed to be what Cas had been holding onto and thinking over. Sam glanced up in surprise. He liked the man, even though he was a stranger. What’s more, Dean seemed to like him. His brother might seem affable enough but honestly, he didn’t take to strangers. He did, however, take to Cas.

Sam licked his lips as he watched Cas make his next move. “If you wanted, you could go with us. I’m sure Dean wouldn’t mind.” He considered his move carefully while he spoke to Cas. “It will be dangerous.”

Cas nodded. “The reputation of the Hutts precedes them.” When Sam placed his next piece, Cas moved his next piece and won the game. He looked up and smiled at Sam, pleased with himself.

Sam crossed his arms and looked suspiciously across the table. “You’ve been letting Dean win.”

“It makes him happy.” Cas seemed to think that this explained everything.

Sam shook his head and pushed away from the table. “I’m hungry, how about a snack?”

*****

Sam had long since returned to bed, but still Castiel lingered in the common area of the ship. He listened as Sam woke Dean and sent him back to his bed. He listened as Dean went grumbling the short distance to his quarters and shut the door behind him. He couldn’t decide if he’d done the right thing. Having seen Sam lost in the force as he had earlier that day, he’d felt a subtle pull towards the younger man. If only he were trained, such things wouldn’t happen. It certainly made Castiel consider. Of course, he’d have to actually explain the whole situation to Sam and Dean, then reveal his own connection to the Force. Despite the days he’d spent with the brothers, he still had no clue how they would react to that.

With a sigh, he left the table and powered it down. He didn’t want to see hate in their eyes. He hadn’t known them long, but he liked them. More, he thought he could help here. As if he might have a purpose and a place here, at least until Sam could stand on his own two feet. If he left, he knew that he was leaving Sam wide open to the risks of the dark side. As he headed into his quarters on the ship, he felt the conflict roll within him. What was right? The code said that emotion would lead one in the wrong direction. He certainly felt when it came to Sam and Dean. He didn’t want something ill to befall the Winchesters.

He slipped out of the tan duster and laid it on the bed. After a long moment, he bent to remove his boots. Once the stiff leather was worked off, he left them leaning against the side of the bed. He sat down on the soft mattress then crossed his legs crossed beneath him. His eyes closed and he opened himself to Force. The meditative frame of mind settled around him from long standing practice. A blue glow surrounded his body as the Force flowed through him. He examined the ebb and flow of it, left himself floating on its tides to see if it pulled him in any direction. He was well used to getting his guidance from the Force, in fact, he depended on it. It was harder now, without the Jedi to act as a yard stick for his actions. He found now that he was on his own, a great many of the decisions he thought were his had actually been made by the council or his Masters. There was freedom there, but now that he was truly free, he saw the bindings as well.

It surprised him that the Force did not seem to tug him away from Sam and Dean. There was nothing there but warmth. It was hard to tell. Perhaps it was approval. What was clear was that a stronger sense of guidance would not be coming. Still, it didn’t hurt to linger in this state. It was a little more restful than sleep and left his mind clear. If he let himself resonate with it, he knew that when the time came, the Force would be at his side and would guide him. He had a sense that he was going to need it.

While no answers came, Castiel at least found comfort in the act. The Force was with him.


	5. Under Two Suns

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a beast to write! Unfortunately the next one will be too. I'll try to get it up before the week is out.

The morning found Castiel awake, though no longer meditating. As the hours had progressed towards daylight, the tug of the Force had changed and became dense. It was the same as when they’d come out of hyperspace above the planet. This time, however, it didn’t flee. It settled over him like a cloak, the weight of what was before them hung heavy on his shoulders. Not for the first time, he wished he were better at foresight. The most he got were these feelings of foreboding, at least when it came to the distant future. He found himself wishing that Sam had control over his visions; it was clear that the young man would be a powerful visionary with proper training. Since Castiel was never going to be good at that, the immensity hanging over his head did nothing but annoy him. He’d given up his meditation in order to pace the room until he heard the other two stirring outside in the ship.

He took a minute to put his boots back on as well as his coat before he left the room and made his way to the common area. He heard the Winchesters before he saw them.

“Come on, Sam! It’s bacon!”

“I know, Dean. It’s called moderation.”

“A real man doesn’t moderate.”

“What does that even mean?”

Castiel took a moment to smile to himself before turning the corner. Dean was standing at the stove cooking bacon and standing next to a plate that already had a good amount of bacon on it already. Sam was sitting on one of the stools at the bar with a plate that held what looked like an egg white vegetable omelet.

“Did I miss the bacon?” Castiel asked, which caused both men to look at him. Sam nodded a good morning to him while Dean looked a little surprised, but recovered quickly.

“’Morning, Sunshine.” Dean quipped before sliding the plate of bacon onto the bar and towards Castiel. “There’s plenty of bacon. Help yourself.”

“Thank you, Dean.” Castiel grabbed a plate from the cabinet and helped himself to several slices of bacon.

At the stove, Dean had switched from cooking bacon to scrambling eggs. “So, our meeting with Jabba’s guy is just after lunch. I suggest we take the time we have left to arm ourselves to the teeth.”

Sam rolled his eyes and took a piece of bacon while Dean had his back turned. “We need a plan, Dean.”

Dean snorted, but didn’t turn around. “A plan for having our asses handed to us?”

“No, Dean.” Sam’s bitch face started the morning at a 5. He sighed. “We need a plan for the drop. _You_ need to let _me_ do the talking.”

“Fine.” Dean took the eggs from the stove and shoveled half of them onto his plate and another half onto Castiel’s plate. He winked.

Castiel felt color rise in his cheeks when he saw it and turned his eyes down to the plate of food. He focused on eating while he listened to Sam and Dean refine their plan.

“We get in, drop the goods, collect our credits, and then get the hell out of Dodge.” Dean said as he put two mugs of coffee down on the bar. He pushed one to Castiel before tipping his own up to his lips.

“Thanks.” Castiel murmured glancing over at Dean, who was now shoveling eggs into his mouth while Sam spoke.

“You’re naïve if you think it’s going to be that easy, Dean.” Sam was saying. “We can hope it goes that well, but we need a plan in case things don’t go all that well.”

“What’s there to plan? We don’t have any back up!” Dean stopped what looked to be a tirade rising in order to sip his coffee, which gave Sam a chance to interrupt him.

“There’s Cas.” Sam gestured to him.

Castiel paused suddenly, as if he’d forgotten that he might figure into this argument. He had just been planning to fill in around whatever the Winchesters thought best. It was his first illegal arms deal, after all. Apparently his wide eyed look failed to impress Dean, or perhaps it was the bacon hanging off his lip. He probably should have finished eating it instead of stopping mid-bite.

“Cas?!” Dean spluttered, then cursed as coffee sloshed into his lap. He glared at Sam as he tried to sop up the coffee in his lap with a crinkled napkin. “The dude doesn’t even have a blaster, Sammy.”

Now Sam turned his eyes to Castiel as well. “You don’t have a blaster?”

Castiel sat up a little straighter and put his plate onto the bar regretfully. “I don’t need a blaster to be useful backup.” He insisted as he reached for his coffee mug. He didn’t really care for it black, but he’d never found where the Winchesters kept the sugar. He winced as he took a sip of the bitter liquid. “There are a great many ways to fight.” He reached behind him and removed a slim knife that was just behind the blaster holster. With a flip of his wrist, he produced the vibro-blade for both to see. “If you had a vibro-sword that would be even better. Sadly, I no longer have mine.” Vibro-weapons were as close to light sabers as one could get, and while he hadn’t used one in a while, he certainly could be lethal with one.

Both Winchesters seemed somewhat mollified by this and because they relaxed, Castiel reached out to take his plate again in the hopes of finishing his eggs before they got too cold.

“I think we’ve got an old vibro-sword around here somewhere.” Dean said gruffly, before narrowing his eyes at Castiel. “What’s with the empty blaster holder then?” He nodded towards Castiel’s right hip.

He shrugged while chewing his food. “It came with the belt.” When Dean simply snorted, he continued. “Have you never used misdirection before?”

Sam gave a sharp laugh while Dean choked a little on the piece of bacon he’d been chewing.

As soon as Dean’s throat was cleared, he nodded Castiel the victory. “Well played, man.”

Castiel nodded with a softly curving smile.

“Now that we’ve got that all settled,” Sam began, sounding as if he was a paragon of patience. “We can make an actual plan. They’ve never seen Cas before and they don’t know he’s with us, so we should find a strategic location for him to wait. That way, if something goes wrong, we have someone to help us get out.”

Dean frowned. “It would be easier if he had a blaster or something. He’ll have to be close to be of any use.”

Castiel leaned forward to tell Dean that he was not particularly skilled in blaster use when Sam cut him off.

“We can’t plan for what we want, Dean. We have to plan for what we have.” Sam sighed but continued. Castiel used the moment to eat another piece of bacon. “So, we don’t know what to expect at Jabba’s palace…”

“Other than it will be crawling with guards.” Dean interjected. When he received a patented Sam bitch face, he fell silent.

Sam continued, “So, we should rent a speeder to go out there. We can leave Cas with the vehicle under the guise of being our chauffer or what not.”

“Posh operation we’ve got going here.” Dean said with some humor as he nursed his coffee. “Cas, can you drive?”

Castiel had finally finished all the food on his plate, so he looked up into Dean’s eyes and nodded once. “Yes, Dean. You need not worry. I can operate a speeder.” He was actually quite good at it; while he wasn’t good at foresight, he had excellent reflexes.

Dean was mouthing the words ‘operate a speeder’ with a bemused look on his face. When Castiel saw this, he frowned, wondering if he’d said it wrong somehow. Dean grinned and shrugged at him. Castiel didn’t understand what this meant either.

“Good.” Sam said, bringing their attention back to him. “So, Cas drives us in and waits in the speeder with one of the comlinks. If we think things are going south even a little, we contact him to come in.”

Dean nodded. “And if it doesn’t go wrong, then he can have the speeder ready and waiting for us to get the hell out of there.”

“And if I think something’s wrong and don’t hear from you?” Castiel prompted, because by his way of thinking, they hadn’t covered every eventuality yet.

“If we don’t come out in fifteen minutes and you don’t hear from us, come in after us.” Sam said decisively.

“Guns blazing, even.” Dean said, giving Castiel another of those winks that made his stomach flutter.

“Of course.” The plan still made him nervous, particularly with the weight of the Force hung around his neck, telling him that something was very much wrong here; however, Castiel vowed that he would not let them down. “I will be waiting and if I you need me, I will be there.”

That much, at least, was completely true. May the Force be with them.

*****

Sam still didn’t like it. He didn’t like it when Dean found Cas a vibro-sword and handed it over. He didn’t like it when Cas activate the blade and tested it out. It’s the wrong weapon. Sam couldn’t say how he knew this, but he _knew_. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Cas, he did. There was just a wrongness about it that he couldn’t place.

He expected it to feel wrong leaving the ship with Dean and Cas. Strangely, walking with the two of them down the ramp and out of the hanger felt right to him. He didn’t question it. If it was right, then surely it would be a good thing in this whole mess. They should have never dealt with the Hutts. He had known it. Dean had known it. They simply felt they hadn’t had a choice. Looking back on it, he wished they’d tried harder. When he cast his eyes to Dean, his older brother had grinned at him in that foolish way Dean had. It was the one when he was worried but didn’t want Sam to worry, so he acted like a doofus. Instead of rolling his eyes, he grinned back at his brother. If they were going to go down, it might as well be together.

Cas walked between them but three paces or so behind as they left the space port and headed for the speeder rental. Sam noticed that the man’s eyes were always moving. His body might be stiff and his face expressionless, however, his eyes never stopped looking for danger. It was reassuring to Sam. Maybe with the three of them working together, it would be alright.

It took them very little time at all for Dean to negotiate the rental of a speeder for the day. They had to sign agreements to be responsible if the speeder was lost, destroyed, or damaged. Once again, Sam had a sense of foreboding: they were going to have to buy this damn speeder. He knew it.

With the business taken care of, Dean drove the speeder back to the space port so they could load the cargo up and before too long, they were on their way across the sands. It was hot. Unbearably hot. Sam thought he might be sweating in places he didn’t know could sweat, except the moisture dried on his skin the moment it hit the air. The suns beat down mercilessly on them in the open cabin of their speeder. They really should have thought about that before they left the city. Seriously, who made open speeders without air conditioning in the desert? They were less than a meter out when Dean shed his jacket and started bitching about the heat. Cas was silent in the backseat, still wearing that awful tan colored duster coat. Sam glanced at him and wondered why he wasn’t dead. In fact, no discomfort showed on Castiel’s face at all. Sam chalked it up to another way the guy was weird.

The journey was a long one through an area known only as the ‘Dune Sea’. It was exactly as pleasant as it sounded. Sam wanted a drink within moments, however, he refrained because they only had so much water with them. They had to make it last. The scenery blurred past them; it was all the same: browns and golds broken up by the occasional bantha or dewback. They arrived at the palace in good time. Sam felt as if he had a brick in his stomach the moment it came in view. A glance to his companions showed that they shared his nerves: Dean’s carried a look of iron determination (which Sam knew compensated for nerves) and Cas was frowning (Sam supposed this passed for the man’s version of dislike, if not nerves).

Dean drove them straight to the gates. There were no guards, nothing at all but a com to call in. Dean stopped the speeder and left it idling. “We’ll get the cargo and you go off, Cas.” Cas nodded and stepped from the speeder to help them move the crates. Sam began to check the comlinks to insure they were working while the other two moved the cargo. In no time at all, they were ready.

Sam handed Cas a comlink. “Here’s yours. Don’t use it unless something suspicious happens out here. If anything happens to us, we’ll call you. Come get us right here.” Cas nodded and took it.

Sam eyed Dean and when his brother nodded he squared his shoulders. In the next moment, Dean nodded to Cas, who climbed into the speeder and drove it away, disappearing behind the nearest dune. They heard the engine cut and knew that Cas had taken it just out of sight.

“Let’s do this.” Dean said. The brothers shared a glance, then Sam activated the com near the gates.

It took very little time for Sam to negotiate introduction in Huttese; he had a talent for languages which came in handy with their chosen career path. Then the gates rolled up before them. Sam had never heard such a heavy sound. The gate was surely a blast door made of durasteel or better. They would never be able to leave unless they were allowed. Once inside with the repulsorlift full of cargo, they were met by a pink skinned male twi’lek. Sam couldn’t remember his name, however, he knew that he was an important member of Jabba’s entourage and as such, Sam treated him with great respect (and he had guards – a great many gamorrean guards. After some light pleasantries, the man nodded to his guards. The pig-men swarmed over to crack the metal crates open so they could check the contents. Nothing was awry. Both Sam and Dean had agreed to play this one as much above the boards as possible.

After a couple of minutes, the gamorreans pulled back. The captain gave the twi’lek a nod. Credits changed hands. Sam checked the amount, nodded his thanks to the twi’lek as they began to back towards the gate. He was assured that the Mighty Jabba would be pleased to do business with them again. Sam gave a vague response to the affirmative, they didn’t want to risk offering insult until they were long gone. He flicked his eyes towards Dean. It was amazing that his brother had been silent all this time. The gates opened behind them and they hastily made their way out. As soon as they clanged shut behind them, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Dean lifted the comlink when it crackled to life just before he spoke.

_Sam? Dean? There is a speeder approaching very rapidly._

They exchanged glances. The tight feeling in Sam’s stomach remained.

“Come get us!” Dean exclaimed. They were cornered here with Jabba’s palace at their backs and endless desert before them. They heard the roar of their speeder come to life, but just as Cas promised, a different speeder appeared over a dune to their right. Cas crested the dune to their left at full speed, the craft becoming airborne for a moment or two before connecting with the sand again. Unfortunately, the rented speeder they were using was poorly maintained and well used and therefore slower. The strange speeder arrived first and the occupant jettisoned out in front of them with no small amount of flare. It would be comical if the armored person didn’t also have a blaster trained on each of them. Cas pulled aside a moment later and looked ready to spring.

The man before them had other plans. “Ah, ah. Not unless you want me to waste these pretty boys.”

Sam’s felt a lurch in his belly. A bounty hunter. He tried to reach for Dean, to warn him, but the bounty hunter tracked his movement with the blaster.

“Don’t move.” The man hissed. His face was hidden behind the visor of his helmet, which was silver and reflected the sun back at them, making him hard to see.

“What the hell do you want?” Dean all but growled, his fingers flexing at this side. To their periphery, Cas was frozen in the cockpit of the idling speeder.

“Why, the two of you.” The hunter’s glanced toward Cas. “I don’t know who the hell you are, but you’ll kill that engine if you want to live. No funny business.” The engine of the speeder died.

Dean’s jaw was clenched as he spoke. “Look, pal, we have no quarrel with you…”

“And I don’t have one with you, but business is business and Gordon Walker always gets his man. Or in this case men.”

“What does a bounty hunter want with us? We aren’t worth anything to anybody.” Sam broke in, trying to gather attention before Dean set the hunter off.

“Now, that’s not true. There’s someone who is paying dearly to get the both of you … alive, even.” The bounty hunter shrugged as if he didn’t care. “We can do this nice and easy. You come along, I get my money. Or we can go the hard way, I’ll kick your asses, drag you in, then I get my money.”

“The hard way.” Dean moved with lightning speed, his hold-out blaster dropping into his hand from the sleeve of his jacket and he fired two shots before Gordon could respond. The man had larger blasters which fired at a slower rate. The first of Dean’s shots went wide, but the second hit Gordon’s left hand. It wasn’t enough to break through the man’s armored glove but it was enough to knock the blaster from the man’s hand. He fired on Dean first, three shots. The brothers dove in opposite directions, Sam aiming for a large pile of rocks next to the Jabba’s gate. Dean had gone for an outcropping of steel where the walls of the palace folded back. He saw the third shot wing his brother in the thigh, Dean stumbled and dove towards the wall. Gordon shot him once more, this time hitting him in the center of his back and Dean hit the wall before him without any sense of control and collapsed in a heap at its base, unmoving on the sand.

“Dean?” Sam yelled from behind the cover of the rocks. “Dean!” From here Sam could see the blood on his brother’s head. The vision. A sense of vertigo hit him with the realization that it was becoming true. He’d sworn that Dean had died, or could die. Fear greater than anything he’d known before seized his heart and with it, anger at the man who’d done this. Sam griped his blaster, his knuckles white.

He looked up in time to see Cas dive towards the man with surprising agility from the speeder. Gordon had been focused on making his way to Dean and had only seen the movement at the last moment. His blaster shot went wide, scorching the palace wall. Cas hit him at full force and there was a grunt, the sound of two bodies colliding as they both went down into the sand. Gordon bucked to get Cas off, but the man was tenacious. Suddenly the vibro-blade was in his hand. Gordon grabbed Cas’s wrist with one hand a brought the blaster up to hit Cas. He’d been aiming for the head but Cas ducked and the blaster hit him squarely in the left shoulder instead. That had been a diversion, Gordon twisted beneath Cas to free himself, then settled a foot to the stomach to kick Cas off. Just as Cas hit the sand, another two shots hit the sand near Gordon. Dean was on his feet again, swaying with one hand bracing him against the wall. He had blood pouring down his face from a large gash in his forehead. Gordon jumped to his feet then jetted to Dean with the rocket pack on his back and without hesitation, punched Dean in the face. Dean’s head snapped back as he hit the wall behind him. Gordon didn’t stop. He punched him again. The sound of Dean’s nose breaking made a sickening crunch.

“No!” Sam screamed. Fury, white hot raged through his mind as he flung a hand out towards them as he rose behind the boulders. His senses swam and he felt something inside of him pull tight then explode outward with the force of his anger. The boulder he’d been hiding behind flew across the sand and hit Gordon in the back.

Sam gaped at the sizable rock, which hit with such a force that the man dropped Dean and bounced into the wall before him.

“What the fuck are you, some kind of Jedi?” Gordon hissed as he turned to stand, the sun flashing off the silver visor.

“Some kind.” The gravel of Cas’s voice to the side caught both of their attention, and with a buzz of power, he turned his wrist and activated a lightsaber. It pulsed with blue energy as it came to light before the man, casting a glow onto his feature even beneath the brilliance of Tatooine’s two suns. Without pause, he cocked his arm back and released the saber, sending it whirling from him in an arc. The blade blurred much like a boomerang, colliding with Gordon’s helmet before whirling back to Cas’s hand. The helmet was knocked from the bounty hunters head to reveal dark skin wet with sweat. With his spare hand, Cas pointed to a second rock at Sam’s feet and directed it to fly towards Gordon. The bounty hunter ducked, which saved him from being hit in his now unprotected head.

“Sam!” Cas called as he advanced on the bounty hunter. “Get Dean.”

The words pulled Sam out of his shocked reverie and he started to move, sprinting across the sand to Dean’s side. He slipped an arm beneath Dean’s back and another behind his knees. His brother was heavy but not impossible for Sam to lift. Dean groaned as Sam lifted him from the sand. Before him, Gordon fired another two shots at Cas, who deflected them both with his saber. He began to advance on the bounty hunter who started to fire as rapidly as possible. It slowed Cas’s movement because he had to deflect the blaster bolts. Gordon, realizing the movement behind him, swapped targets to stop Sam’s movement to the speeder with a blaster bolt that hit the sand just at his feet. Cas leapt suddenly, covering the remaining distance to come down directly before the bounty hunter. Gordon pedaled back several steps to save himself from being cut in half by the buzzing swing of the blue saber.

Sam reached the speeder and settled Dean into the back before jumping into the driver’s seat. The engine roared to life under his hand. A blaster shot hit the tail of the speeder, another in the door panel and one on the dash to the right of Sam’s hand. He turned, grabbing his own blaster. His heart was racing as he brought it up while dialing it to its highest setting. If the bolt hit, Gordon would be dead. Sam would have no regrets. Just as he moved to fire, Cas’s saber sliced through the air and connected with the wrist of Gordon’s blaster hand, neatly severing it. Gordon screamed.

“Go!” Cas commanded, glancing back at Sam before he reversed the blade of the saber and brought it down again, this time sliding through the forearm of Gordon’s other arm.

Sam throttled the speeder directing it towards Cas. He intended to slow so the man could board, however, before he got the chance, Cas leaped from the sand and landed in the passenger seat next to him. His blade drew in the moment he touched the seat.

“You’re a fucking Jedi!” Sam tossed a glare at the man next to him. Jedi were bad news right now.

“I am.” Cas affirmed, his voice calm despite having just disfigured a man. “You just used the Force to save your brother.” He pointed out, before looking forward at the rolling dunes.

Sam paled at the thought. He remembered the rolling anger and the sudden surging that rushed out of him. Was that the Force? “We need to get Dean help.”

“We need to get off Tatooine.” Cas countered. “I only slowed him down. He might be traveling with others and can call for help. Worse, he could bring the Republic down on our heads.” Cas shifted in his seat, twisting around to lay his fingers on Dean’s forehead. A blue glow surrounded his body and traveled down his arm where it disappeared into his brother. “I’ll try to heal him as much as I can.”

Sam knew he was right. “I hope the damn Force is with us now.”

Cas caught his eye before he affirmed. “We surely are going to need it.”

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, being the nerd I am, I have played a lot of Star Wars: The Old Republic (MMORPG). Some of the Jedi moves Cas does are borrowed from the game.


	6. Into the Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’ve no idea what we are planning for. If I knew…” Castiel shook his head, his eyes still closed. “I’ve not your gift in foresight. We will have to make due.”
> 
> Sam chuckled. “Guns blazing it is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, many thinks to Andromytta for being my beta. 
> 
> If you were curious, this is [Baby](http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/YT-1930_transport%20). Yes, I am exactly that nerdy. Thanks for reading!

When they’d come to Tatooine, Castiel had known that things were not going to go well. Since none of them were dead, he assumed that they were not as dire as they could have been. Unfortunately, the impeding sense of dread had not yet let up. Tatooine was not done with them yet.

He’d done his best with Dean’s wounds; the broken nose was mended and he’d staunched both the flow of blood and swelling in his brain. That was all Castiel could do. He was not a Jedi healer, he knew very little more than battlefield triage, but this was enough to keep Dean alive.

“How is he?” Sam’s voice, worried, came from his side.

“He will live.” Castiel said, looking back to Sam as he withdrew his fingers from Dean’s forehead. “He could use a Bacta-tank. Unfortunately, it make some time for him to fully heal.”

Sam nodded, his eyes still on the Dunes. They hadn’t spoken for nearly an hour after their last exchange. Now the shape of Mos Eisley began to appear on the horizon and then sense of trouble was growing.

“Something… bad is going to happen.” Sam said without looking at him. “I don’t know how I know, but..”

“You know.” Castiel confirmed. “I understand. The Force… it warns you.”

“Why is it so damn vague?” Sam said with growing heat in his voice.

“Because it works with you and rarely on its own. It guides but does not lead.” Castiel closed his eyes and sought the sense of calm that came with meditation. It was difficult to hold onto with the rushing of air past his face, the heat of the desert, and with Dean’s blood on his hands. He should have been able to do more. He _wanted_ to do more.

“It’s too late. I need it to help me now!” Sam’s words ground out from between his teeth.

“It has helped you Sam. It helped you stop that bounty hunter when your body would have moved too slowly.” Castiel kept his voice calm and the act of doing so helped him feel more at peace. “It helped me fight our foe and escape. Whatever is before us, we will persevere.” He looked to Sam now and for a moment their eyes met before Sam’s went back to the sand before them. “I had a teacher once who was fond of saying ‘I am one with the Force and the Force is with me’.”

“What does that even mean?” Sam snorted, some of the tension draining out of his shoulders.

“I’ve always supposed it to mean that the Force is with us at all times. Perhaps especially when we are speeding head first into something unknown that we both know is dangerous.” Castiel’s voice was colored with a dry sense of amusement. If he died here, at least it would not be alone. That said, he didn’t want to see either Sam or Dean meet that fate.

Sam seemed to sense his humor and tossed a grin to him. “We must be absolutely mad.”

“I would agree.” A sense of comradery stretched between them, something warm and completely strange to Castiel. His friends were few and far between. “If you wish it, I will teach you.”

“You mean if we live?” Sam shot back dryly.

“Of course.” Castiel frowned. “I’ve heard that some Jedi become Force ghost. Perhaps I can teach you even if I become one with the Force.” He shrugged.

“Wow.” Silence stretched between them for a moment. “That was really weird, Cas.”

“Apologies.” Castiel returned, sounding contrite.

“I’d like you to teach me.” Sam finally told him. Mos Eisley began to grow on the horizon. It wouldn’t be long before they reached it. “So… do we have a plan?”

Castiel considered this. He centered himself and began to turn his site inwards to the Force. “I’ve no idea what we are planning for. If I knew…” He shook his head, his eyes still closed. “I’ve not your gift in foresight. We will have to make due.”

Sam chuckled. “Guns blazing it is.

*****

The closer to the city they got, the more Sam worried. He and Cas might be able to fight their way through whatever was waiting for him but Dean… how would they get Dean through it.  Cas had told him he wouldn’t wake up anytime soon. They would be there before too long.

“Cas? What do we do about Dean?” Sam asked when he couldn’t stand another moment of brooding over it.

“I suspect you will have to leave me to face whatever awaits alone.” Cas’s answer was delivered with calm certainty. When Sam glanced at him, there was a determined look in the man’s eyes. Too determined.

“You think you’re going to…” Sam said slowly, processing the words and the look. “I’m not leaving you to die!”

“Sam. Dean must be taken to safety. I am better prepared to face anything than you are.” Castiel placed a hand on his shoulder. “It’s alright. I want you and Dean to live.”

“I don’t want it to be at the cost of your life. What happened to guns blazing?” Sam was beginning to think that Cas was as stubborn as Dean. Brilliant.

“That will still occur. I assume you will have to fight your way to the space port from the speeder. I will act as a diversion.” Castiel said, his eyes were now closed as if he were meditating. Now was a terrible time for that.

“What if they want me more? The bounty hunter was after us.” He was turning the situation around and around in his mind. If there was anything that Sam was good at, it was thinking these things through.

“That could be.” Cas sighed with some frustration. “It would be easier if we knew what was ahead.”

“Yeah.” Sam agreed. There was something that Sam was missing. He knew more about this… that feeling settled over him, tugged at his awareness. It was relentless and then it came to him. “Wait! Cas! The vision!”

“Sam?” Confusion was in Cas’s voice.

_Oh, right. I didn’t tell anyone what I saw._ Sam realized belatedly. “The vision I had when we got to Tatooine. I saw the bounty hunter. I saw Dean get hurt and I saw clone troopers!”

Cas broke into a brilliant smile. “Sam! That’s exactly what we need now. Clone troopers, I can handle.” The Jedi turned to him. “The Force is your guide. You know exactly what we need.” He shook his head. “The things you could do once trained.”

Sam grinned back, feeling a sliver of hope. Maybe Cas was right, maybe they would live through this.

“Time is short. If the clone troopers are here, that means they have been called. The only person who could have done that was Walker, the hunter. No one else knew about either you or me.” Cas reasoned.

“No, wait.” Sam cut him off, his eyes forward and watching them draw nearer to Mos Eisley. “We were right there by Jabba’s palace. Anyone in there could have called and warned them too.”

Cas nodded. “There is no love lost between the Jedi and the Hutts.” After a moment of consideration, Cas went on. “We can figure that out later. What matters now is that clone troopers will move with predictable, coordinated movements. We should expect them to attempt to blockade the entrance to the city. There will likely be a smaller, secondary force setting a blockade at the spaceport.”

“You’ve been at this awhile, huh?” Sam said, amazed at the Jedi’s ability to strategize so quickly.

“Since the order was given to purge the Jedi Order.” Cas said slowly. Sadness seemed to weigh on him for a moment. “It will be useful to us now. You must break through that blockade. The speeder will be helpful for that, I think.”

“And what are you going to do? Jump on them and keep their attention with your Jediness?” Sam asked, still not particularly happy about this plan.

Cas chuckled. “Something to that effect. A lightsaber _is_ fairly distracting.”

Sam jerked his eyes forward. He could see the entrance of the city before him and was able to make out moving bodies clad in white. “I think we are out of time.”

There was a front line of men in front of them and behind that line, he could see men scrambling to set up a laser turret. Sam thanked whatever power that was out there that they hadn’t gotten it up yet.

“It’s time.” Cas said, his lightsaber in his hands again, still inactivated. He nodded to Sam.

Sam nodded back. “See you on the other side.” He didn’t wait for a response. He hit the throttle of the speeder and pushed it up to its fastest speed. The whole craft began to shake and rattle as they approached the blockade. Sam didn’t slow. The clone troopers began to shift nervously as he didn’t stop, some began to ready their blasters. Just as they drew abreast of them, blaster fire began to buzz in the air. Next to him, Cas’s lightsaber burst to life, the brilliant blue casting light on the both of them. Then Cas was gone, having jumped from the speeder to dive into the midst of the scrambling troopers. Several of them jumped out of the way as he bore down on the line of soldiers. A pair of them stayed, their blasters trained on the speeder. Two blaster bolts hit the windshield and cracked the material it was made from and then Sam was running them down without stopping. The whole craft shook violently and listed to the side as the bodies of the troopers fell beneath the repulsors that kept the vehicle off the ground. Sam winced but kept going. In the back, Dean didn’t stir. In his review, he could see the blue flash of Cas’s saber amidst a crowd of white and then he was lost in the buildings of Mos Eisley. He hoped it wasn’t the last he’d see of the jedi.

*****

Castiel heard, rather than saw, Sam break through the blockade. He spared one moment to hope that Sam and Dean made it through the second blockade. That was all the time he had for that because he was in the middle of 12 clone trooper. Sam had managed to kill two and wound a third when he broke through. Castiel considered that quite helpful as he parried three blaster bolts and dodged another before swinging his saber. It connected with the trooper to his immediate left. He tried not to kill them. It wasn’t the Jedi way to kill outright. Still, there were a few that were pressing in close to him. He kicked another one to his right and managed to send him flying back to collide with 2 more troopers. The next few moments blurred together, all red blaster bolts and the blue blur of his saber as he tried to keep them off his body. There were a lot of them, his tan duster was singed in several places and he suspected that he’d taken a glancing hit to his side. One of his ribs may or may not have been broken. Between the adrenaline and the Force, he didn’t feel either pain or exhaustion as he fought. That would catch up with him later.

The Force was his ally, as it ever was. Castiel may not have been good at seeing far into the future. What he was good at, beyond minor healing, was battle sight. He couldn’t see far, but he could read the movements of his opponents and track them. He knew where they were going and where they would be seconds before they knew it. It made him especially hard to kill. It wasn’t perfect, as his wounds demonstrated, however, after several long minutes of combat Castiel stood alone in a field of fallen troopers.

He wanted to stop to catch his breath but time wouldn’t allow for that. Instead, he took to his heels and ran. He didn’t follow the path that Sam had taken, which was through the main streets of Mos Eisley. Instead, he plunged down a darkened alley and wove the twists and turns of the street. He passed by the usual lurkers of the alleyways in a lawless city; men who traded in stolen wares and women who plied the oldest trade in history. He ignored them all and honestly, they ignored him. It wasn’t out of place for someone to be running for their life in this city. Of course, at the moment, Castiel wasn’t being chased. Ahead of him, he could hear screams and commotion. He assumed this was where Sam was and directed himself towards the sound. It would be easy to become lost in the labyrinth of the city but again, the Force was on his side. He burst out into the plaza directly before the spaceport.

On the steps of the building, a dead trooper lay while the rest of the contingent was scrambling through a smoking hole where Sam’s speeder had obviously passed through. It appeared that the doorway hadn’t been large enough to admit the speeder and Sam hadn’t stopped. Castiel counted 4 no 5 troopers heading into the port. This group must have been very small indeed. That wasn’t odd, the Republic wouldn’t be able to truly have a presence here in the Outer Rim. He hoped that these were the only troopers in the city.

The troopers, focused on following the speeder and Sam into the building were not expecting to be attacked from behind. The first two fell beneath the strike of his weapon easily. The next two went down under the arc of his thrown saber. The final one was struggling to climb over the smoking wreck of the speeder which was lodged in the doorway of the docking bay where they had left the ship. Seeing the remains of the speeder, Castiel felt his heart clench. It was the first time in his adult life that he had felt the cold trickle of fear wash over him. He used the Force to enhance his strength and leapt from his position halfway down the hall to the remains of the speeder. He breathed in relief to find it empty. Neither Sam nor Dean were there. As if an afterthought, he kicked the trooper climbing the wreck so that he bounced off the nearest wall and landed in a heap in the crumpled mess of metal.

Ahead of him were two more troopers. He’d been wrong about their numbers. Damn. They had taken up a position of cover behind a crate and had pinned Sam down near the cargo ramp into the ship. It took him a moment to find Dean, who Sam had stashed behind the cover of the ramp. Two green blaster bolts fired from Sam’s gun hit one of the troopers. The man fell with a scream while the other one returned fire. Sam was mostly behind one of the landing gears. It sparked when it was hit and Sam jumped back with the sleeve of his coat smoking. Castiel rushed the final trooper, catching him by surprise. The final trooper fell seconds later.

In the sudden silence, he stared at Sam, who stared back. There was a long moment where they just took it in. They’d made an insane run on Mos Eisley and had lived. The sound of feet clattering in the hall broke the reverie and they jumped to action. The slung Dean between the two of them and scurried up the ramp into Baby as fast they could manage. They placed Dean on the bed in the first room they came to, which was Castiel’s.

The moment Dean was settled, Sam turned to bring up the cargo ramp while Cas went to the cockpit of the ship. “Can you fly?”

Sam was already sliding into the pilot’s chair. “Yeah. I’m not as good as Dean but I can do it.” The engines of the craft roared to life while Sam sent the request to take off.

Castiel sat in the co-pilot’s seat and took up the navigation computer and the star maps attached. “I can help from here.”

Sam looked at him only long enough to nod. There was a mechanical beep as they were cleared for take-off. Sam wasted no time and spurred the ship into movement. Just as they came to the opening bay doors, there was a call on the com.

_“You have been flagged for questioning. Return to the hanger.”_

Sam didn’t stop. He throttled the ship and blasted out of the hanger as the doors reversed and began to close. They pulled free of the space port and Sam directed the vessel up, clearly intent on breaking the atmosphere as quickly as possible. Next to him, Castiel had left the navigation computer and turned to the control in front of him. The ship strained under the severity of their escape, but between the two of them, they leveled their ascent out and passed through the atmosphere safely. Once in space, both could breathe a little easier. Castiel turned back to the nav computer.

“Where do we go now?” Sam asked. He felt exhausted as the adrenaline left him.

“We need answers and I know where we can get them.” Castiel said as he entered the coordinates they needed into the computer, which beeped twice as it accepted them.

Sam turned back to the console and began to prep the ship to jump into hyperspace. “And that is?”

“Nar Shadaa.”


	7. Fumbling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Are you serious, Sammy?” Dean struggled to his feet, finding himself weak and swaying a little. “Do you know what you are getting into? A life of being hunted, maybe killed by the Republic. They are everywhere, man.” 
> 
> “How’s that different from being a smuggler?” Sam said quietly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had no clue that this fic was going to be this long when I started writing it. I think I'm about halfway through what I have planned. Thanks for hanging in there with me. 
> 
> Beta's by Andromytta

The ship eased into hyperspace with relative ease though Sam knew that they’d surely put another few scratches and maybe a burn or two on Baby’s hull on their way out of Tatooine. Dean was going to be angry when he woke up. Sam winced with the thought and turned the chair, intent on saying something to Cas, only to find the man gone. He checked the auto-pilot, made sure they were on course before he left the bridge. He considered heading into the commons area; however he had a feeling that heading towards the cabins was the right choice. He came abreast of the first cabin and found Cas sitting on the bed next to Dean.

His brother’s face was still a mess of purple bruises however, his nose looked much better. The swelling had gone down and it had been set back in alignment. Cas had two fingers pressed to Dean’s forehead and that strange blue glow was surrounding him and traveling down his arm again.

“Are you healing him with the Force?” Sam asked from the doorway.

“I am.” Cas agreed before taking his fingers away from Dean’s forehead. “He was badly injured by that bounty hunter.” The Jedi turned his blue eyes to Sam. “I’m not the best of healers, I’m doing what I can do when I can.”

“Then that’s all you can do.” Sam shrugged. “Dean is tough, Cas. He’ll be up and bothering us again in no time.”

Cas stood up and as an afterthought, he pulled a blanket from the foot of the bed and tugged it up over Dean. He shifted awkwardly from foot to foot as he observed Dean then turned back to Sam at the doorway. His expression was confused.

Sam bit back a smile. He had a sense of what was going on between those two but it was clear to him that Cas didn’t have a clue. He probably should tell him something but decided against it. They’d figure it out. “So… you were going to teach me about the Force.”

“Of course, Sam.” Cas pushed past him into the hallway and headed towards the common area. “I’m afraid you will find the first parts of training quite boring.”

“If it stops the headaches with the visions, I’ll deal with it.” Sam said with a chuckle as he followed Cas. “Tell me what to do. “

“Find a comfortable position and center yourself.” Cas said as he found a place on the floor near the Dejarik table and sat with crossed legs.

Sam sat across from him in the same position. He shifted a little before looking at Cas expectantly.

“It really is like meditation. You focus inwards, into the core of your being. The Force will come. You have to learn to hear it and that takes time.” Cas stared into his eyes for a long moment before closing his. The man’s spine seemed to relax and within moments a blue glow was radiating around his body.

“That’s amazing.” Sam breathed. He stared a moment more and then closed his eyes as well. He turned his thoughts inwards. They wandered. He thought of Dean, he worried about the bounty hunter and who was looking for them. He worried about where they could find parts for Baby. They chased around his mind like rats in a maze. “I can’t do it. There’s too much…”

“It takes time Sam.” Cas’s voice was infinitely patient. “If your mind is busy, it will take more. You can’t force them away. You must take them out, acknowledge them, and accept that they trouble you. Then put them away for later.”

“Okay.” Sam’s eyes were still closed so he tried to do what Cas said. He concentrated on his thoughts, tried to put them away but he couldn’t figure out where they should go.

Without prompting, Cas spoke as if he understood the problem. “I like to throw them on a fire and watch them evaporate. Others like to close them in a box and lock them up until later. You can try one of those and see what works for you.”

Sam tried again, finding that when he pictured the box and tossed the thoughts into it, they went easily. When everything was in there, he pictured it closed and locked. He had the key, he could get those concerns back later. He found it much easier to clear his mind. He had no idea how much time had passed. He felt as if he were floating on emptiness. He turned his mind inwards and tried to remember what Cas had said. _The core of your being._ He felt like he was diving deep and the deeper he went, the more calm he became. And when he felt that he could go no further, that was when he felt it. It was no more than a faint pulse of light, a thread of warm golden glow. He reached for it. It slipped through his fingers. He tried again, reaching more slowly this time, until he could just wrap his fingers around it. The moment he closed his fingers around the light, the golden light surrounded him, suffused his skin. It traveled up his arm and into his chest. He could hear a whisper. A thrum of sound that was just below hearing.  He concentrated, tried to listen. He strained at the edge of his hearing, trying to hear…trying…

With a gasp, he snapped back into reality. His knees ached and his butt was asleep. Cas was gone. Looking around, he found he was alone in the common room. When he rose, he noticed on the bar there was a plate with a sandwich on it. A datapad sat next to it with a note on its screen: _Don’t forget to eat. Meditation can be tiring. ~Castiel_

Sam grinned as he picked up the sandwich. Maybe it wasn’t much, but it was a good day’s work. When Dean woke up, they were definitely going to have a beer.

*****

Castiel had left Sam meditating nearly an hour ago. He knew that there was nothing that could go wrong with what he was doing at the moment. Besides, opening a connection with the Force was an individual and almost private moment. He wanted that for Sam and so had not sat across from him staring the whole time. While he’d been sitting, he was thinking through the next steps in what was happening around them. Now that someone had informed the Republic about his presence, he knew that he would be in a great deal more danger than previously. Likewise, he had to assume that they’d been informed about Sam as well. The last thing that they needed at the moment was for one of Palpatine’s people to come track them down. Troopers they could handle but something that followed the dark side of the Force would be catastrophic. It wasn’t that he feared facing such a person; he didn’t. He was known for being an excellent duelist and strategist. It was Sam that made him concerned. The younger man had reached for the Force out of anger and fear. He was untrained and impressionable. Left in his care, Castiel thought Sam would develop into a strong Jedi despite coming to it at such an advanced age. If a Sith found them it could very well twist Sam into something horrible. He didn’t want to see what that would do to Dean.

Despite his careful thought, he could only conjecture so far. Going to Nar Shadaa was risky. On one hand, the Republic didn’t have a great presence there. On the other hand, it was ruled by Hutts and often was the source of dangerous gang warfare. It was a hotbed of sin rife with casinos and just about anything could be obtained for the right price there. Sam and Dean could certainly find a job there. Castiel himself wasn’t a great fan of illegal goings on; however, he was also a pragmatic and understood that without credits, they would not get far. He took it for granted already that it was we now. He would stay with Sam and train him.

Regardless of the risks, Nar Shadaa was a necessity. They needed answers and he had one solid contact that enjoyed life on the world of neon slick danger. He could only hope that they’d slip under the radar and gain some breathing room. He wouldn’t expect much however, it wasn’t just the Republic looking for rogue Jedi anymore. Now they had bounty hunters after the Winchesters for an unknown reason and, yes, he had disfigured Gordon Walker. Castiel had no doubt that the bounty hunter held a grudge and would be back.

When no definitive answers came to him, he went to the common eating area and poked around in the food storage to see what there was to eat. Unfortunately, he had very little knowledge of food preparation and cooking. That wasn’t among the skills taught at the Jedi Temple. He could, however, throw together a sandwich, which he did. He made one for Sam too, left a note with it, and once he was done eating, he went back to his quarters.

Dean was still unconscious. At least he thought so at first, however, after a moment’s observation he noticed that Dean had moved since last he’d been in the room. It wasn’t much of a move, but Castiel was sure it was there. Maybe Dean would wake up soon. He reached out to touch Dean’s forehead and while he sensed that the damage that lingered would cause some discomfort but not outright pain. He shouldn’t over do it right now, not with the future so uncertain. Instead, he withdrew his fingers and settled in the chair to consider the smuggler.

They hadn’t known each other long however; Castiel had found that he felt closer to him than he did to anyone else. This included Jedi that he’d worked with and known for years. Perhaps that had something to do with not having the Council watching over him and eschewing personal relationships as the path to the dark side. For a brief moment, he felt as if he belonged somewhere and it was… _nice._ It felt good. Could this really be so bad? Would the dark side take him in his sleep? He snorted at the thought. He doubted that the transition to the dark side would happen so fast. He wondered, idly, if things were as black and white as the Council painted them to be. It was a shocking thought, but one that occurred to him more often the farther away he grew from the life he’d once lived.

A soft sound interrupted his thoughts. He turned to see Dean stirring on the bed. It looked like the smuggler was about to rejoin them. Castiel was both glad and nervous. He liked Dean, he wanted him to be well. However, Dean might not want him there anymore when he heard about Sam and the Force. He would have to face that. It was time.

*****

Dean’s eyelids fluttered as he groaned softly and tried to move. His limbs felt heavy and his head ached. He couldn’t quite remember where he was or how he got there. His brows knit as he concentrated on it, which had the unfortunate side effect of making his head hurt more. _What the hell?_ A disgruntled noise escaped his lips.

“Dean?” A hand softly touched his shoulder. That was Cas’s voice. Cas was still with them. Ooooookay. He thought some more. He remembered coming out of the Hutt’s palace unscathed. It had been a damn miracle. And then…. And then…. The bounty hunter. Right. The wall and that asshole punching him in the face. After that, it was all a blank.

“Cas?” His voice sounded low and a little slurred to his ears.

“Yes, Dean. I’m here.”

The hand on his shoulder smoothed over it. It felt kinda nice. Dean had a feeling once he opened his eyes things would not feel so nice, not with the way his head was throbbing just behind his eyes. There was no help for it. He couldn’t stay here forever; he’d never figure out what the hell had happened. He opened his eyes.

The first thing he saw was Cas. The man was sitting next to him in a chair next to the bed. The tan duster was gone, leaving a white button-down shirt and a poorly tied neck-tie. Who even wore those anymore? Cas’s eyes were riveted on him and even in the low light of the room, he could see how very blue they were. He found that he was glad that the man was still there. After all the shit that had surely gone down on Tatooine, he wouldn’t have blamed the guy for running.

He realized, somewhat belatedly, that they were staring at each other. He knew from experience that there was no way he was outstaring Cas. He flicked his eyes away.

“What happened?” As he looked around the room, he realized that he wasn’t in his quarters. He was in the spare room. “Why am I here?”

“You were injured badly by the bounty hunter. We put you in here because it was closest to the door. We had to leave Tatooine somewhat… quickly.” Cas explained, his eyes flicking down to minutely examine an invisible spot of lint on his pants.

Dean knew that wasn’t the whole story. He’d seen Cas avoid looking at him before but that generally happened when Dean was flirting with him. (So he liked making the guy blush. Sue him.) This wasn’t the same.

“What else happened?” His eyes narrowed in suspicion and when Cas glanced up at him, he could swear the other man winced.

“Let me get Sam.” Cas rose from the chair but Dean reached out and caught the man’s wrist with his hand.

“Cas, what happened?”

“It’s complicated, Dean.” Cas at least looked at him this time. “I think Sam and I should explain together.”

Dean’s fingers squeezed Cas’s wrist before dropping away. “Fine. Get Sammy.”

“I’ll be back shortly.” With that, Cas left the room.

Dean could hear his footsteps recede into the common area on the other side of the ship, then the soft murmur of voices. _What the hell?_ After another moment, he could hear both coming back towards him. They were still talking softly until they got just outside of the door.

Sam came in first, a huge smile breaking over his face. “Hey, Dean! It’s good to see you awake!” His gigantic brother swept him up in a hug that made his ribs hurt.

“Okay, okay. It’s just a couple of bruises, Sam.”

“It wasn’t though. Your nose was broken and….” Sam trailed off uncomfortably, shifting foot to foot. He glanced at Dean and then looked down. “Look, something weird happened, okay? Try not to freak out.”

“Why would I freak out?” Dean said, suspicion rising because obviously Sam thought it was something that would make him angry. “Out with it.” He fixed his brother with his most serious big brother gaze as he demanded the answer.

“Well, you see… when Gordon hurt you, there was…I was… I did…” Sam seemed to be searching for the right words and failing to find them, which was only making Dean more nervous.

“Did you kill him?” Dean asked, because he couldn’t imagine what else would cause Sam to be so speechless.

“No... I…” Sam said, trailing off again. He looked to Cas for help.

Cas licked his lips and nodded to Sam. It was clear he was nervous too.

_What the actual hell?_ Dean definitely didn’t like this. “Someone better tell me. Now.” He growled out, turning his baleful gaze on Cas.

To his credit, Cas didn’t shrink away from him but instead met his glare with a steady expression. “Sam used the Force to save you.”

That was not what Dean had been expecting. “What?”

“Sam used the Force.” Cas’s voice was steady but there was something stiff in his body posture, well, stiffer than usual. He looked ready to run or to fight.

“I…” Sam began, looking up at Dean with a hesitant expression. It seemed that he too had no idea what Dean was going to do. “…made a rock fly up to hit Gordon. It made him drop you.”

“How do you know?” Dean demanded.

“Um, I was really upset and it just happened?” Sam seemed to be still thinking the question through.

“I saw it too.” Cas stated, his lips parting around more words to stop. He was staring at Dean as if he could see into his head or was trying to. “I know it was the Force because I’m a Jedi.”

“WHAT?” Dean sat up immediately, his ribs giving him another twinge but at the moment, he was too stunned and a little angry to worry over it. “Since when?”

Cas blinked, his head tilting to the right. “Since always, Dean. I went to the temple when I was small.”

“What the fuck, man? You’ve been here for nearly a week! The Republic could come down on our heads at any moment!”

“Do you think I haven’t been careful?” Castiel shot back at him, some heat entering his voice. “Do you know how long it’s been since they wiped us all out? I’ve survived by staying off their radar.” The fight drained out him suddenly. “I understand if you want me to leave. You can throw me out the airlock if you want.” His shoulders were hunched and he looked like he had when they’d met, as if he didn’t have a friend in the world.

Sam jumped in before Dean could say anything. “It doesn’t matter now, Dean. The Republic… they know about me. I don’t know who told them, but they were waiting for us in Mos Eisley.”

“Are… are you sure it was you?” Dean wasn’t looking at Cas now, he was angry. Angry that he’d been lied to. He thought he was getting to know the guy. He had been starting to like him, to trust him.

“What?” Sam’s face scrunched in confusion.

“That used the Force. How can you be sure it was you?” The accusation he was making made his stomach twist. He didn’t want to think it, that Cas would do that to them, but he had to. He heard the strangled noise that Cas made. When Dean looked out, it was to the see the man walking out of the room.

“Cas, wait!” Sam called, then turned back to Dean with his standard Sam bitch face, turned all the way up to a 10. Lesser men would have died. “Yes Dean, I’m sure. I felt it when it happened.” He took a deep breath and went on. “And now you’ve alienated the one person left in the galaxy that can teach me how to control it.”

“Are you serious, Sammy?” Dean struggled to his feet, finding himself weak and swaying a little. “Do you know what you are getting into? A life of being hunted, maybe killed by the Republic. They are everywhere, man.”

“How’s that different from being a smuggler?” Sam said quietly, his eyes flicking to his feet before they came back to Dean’s face. “We were already criminals, Dean. And you’ve said it yourself, you didn’t believe Chancellor Palpatine when he said the Jedi were traitors to the Republic. But this explains everything, don’t you see? The visions, the way I can read people, it’s all been the Force. All this time.” Sam sat heavily down on the bed next to where Dean was standing.

Given the excuse, Dean sat down next to him. “What the hell, Sam?”

Sam’s shoulders hunched. “Cas says the Jedi missed me because we traveled so much with Dad as children. If we’d been in one place, I’d have gone to the Jedi Temple and would have been trained. Instead, I learned to use it unconsciously. It’s not going to go away, Dean.”

How Sam had known that Dean was thinking just that was beyond him. Probably the damn Force. He dropped his head into his hands. “What are we supposed to do now?”

“Go on as we have been. Smuggle goods, keep moving. Cas will train me, I’ll learn to be better at it. The headaches will stop and I’ll be able to control the visions, learn more. This is a good thing, Dean.”

Dean sighed. He hated it. He hated that his brother would always be hunted, however, if the Republic already knew about him, there was little they could do to change that now. “I need to think about this Sam. This is huge.”

“I understand, Dean.” 

Dean got to his feet again, then wasted no time in going to his room. He saw no sign of Cas as he went. He closed the door behind him as he went inside and fell face first on his bed. It felt damn good. What he wanted was to go back to sleep. What he did was brood. Why? Why was this happening to them? And why now? He thought of Cas and how this all started after he’d come. He wanted to blame him, be angry, and throw him out the airlock. Even as he thought it, he knew it wasn’t true. He’d liked Cas, despite the short amount of time they’d known each other. He still did like him. Maybe it would all turn out okay. These thoughts were still chasing around his head as he drifted back to sleep, still laying on his stomach with his arms around his pillow.

_‘Dean.’ A soft warm voice called his name. Sunlight washed over his face and he looked up to see an open window and white lace curtains blowing in the breeze. He was sitting on the floor next to a couple of toys. A small metal starship was balanced on his knee. ‘There you are.” He turned his head to see the beautiful smile of the blonde that had come in the room. Plain linen swirled around her ankles as she approached him._

_‘Mom.’ His voice was young and light. He lifted his arms and she bent to pick him up. Her lips brushed his forehead as she settled him on her hip. Together they walked to the window. He lay his head on her shoulder._

_‘Look out there, Dean. Do you see the grass, the trees, the flowers?’_

_‘Yes, Mommy.’ She leaned her cheek against the top of his head._

_‘All are living and all radiate the Force.’ She shifted again, but kept talking in a quiet voice. ‘It’s in all of us.’_

_‘I thought only the Jedi have it?’ He replied, his eyes bright. ‘Can I be a Jedi when I grow up?’_

_‘Mmm.’ She murmured. ‘Maybe. It’s not the future I see for you.’_

_He didn’t know what she meant but didn’t ask. He liked it when Mommy held him like this and they talked together._

_Her fingers brushed over his cheeks. ‘This little one could be.’ Her hand moved to curve over her rounded belly. ‘But I don’t see it for him, either. I wish life could be easy for you both.’ She sighed and kissed his forehead again. ‘You’ll be a good brother to him. I can see that.’_

_‘I will, Mommy. I promise.’ He hugged her, his small hands patting her shoulder._

_‘My sweet Dean. I love you.’_

He awoke with a start, his heart aching. He dreamed about his mother often and this particular dream he’d had before. The dreams had faded as he grew older and his memories dimmed. He’d started having a hard time remembering what her face looked like a few years prior and had swiped a holo of her from his dad. It sat on the table next to the bed. He reached out and turned it on now. His mother’s warm smile came to life before his eyes, bathed in blue light. He wanted to reach out, to stroke her cheek, to hug her as he’d done in the dream. She’d been gone so long. He thought of the dream, of the familiar words seen in the new light. She’d told him, hadn’t she? He’d have to accept it and help Sam. How had she known? Had the Force been inside her too?

Dean would never know. He pushed up into a sitting position and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. He still didn’t really like any of this but what else could he do? It had always been him and Sammy. Maybe it always would be.

After another long moment, Dean stood and left his room. It was clearly much later. The lights were dimmed to a glow and the ship was silent. He passed the other two cabins as he made his way around to the common area. It was empty too. Everyone was in bed. With a sigh, he turned towards the cockpit. He always liked to watch the stars whiz while they were in hyperspace. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw Cas in the co-pilot’s chair.

“Jeez man, warn a guy.” He wheezed as he clutched the doorway to the cockpit.

“You walked in on me. I think you were the one who was supposed to give warning.” Cas’s gravelly voice was as cool as it always was.

“Not if you know I’m coming and I don’t know you’re there.” Dean said with a scowl as he slipped through the space between the two chairs and flopped into the pilot’s seat. “Couldn’t sleep?”

“I was accused of making Sam believe he was using the Force. My fate was uncertain. Would you be able to sleep?” Cas faced the window at the front of the ship. He didn’t look at Dean.

Dean sighed. He’d been an ass and he knew it. Yet, he went on to defend himself.  “I… you know what, I had to think it. I’ve known Sam all my life and this has never happened before.”

“That’s not true and you know it.” There was no anger in Cas’s voice. No emotion at all. “You told me yourself that Sam had the visions before.”

“Yeah.” Dean said, if anything he felt worse about it however, apologies didn’t come easily to Dean Winchester. “Look, Sam wants you to stay and teach him.”

Now Cas looked at him, but he remained silent.

Dean faced him. Once again, those blue eyes bored into his as if he could see everything that Dean was thinking. For a moment, he considered telling Cas about the dream and asking him what it meant. The words hung in his throat, unspoken. Instead, he glanced away. “I would like that too. If you can teach him… keep him from getting his headaches or whatever, that would be good.” He tried to look at Cas out of the corner of his eye.

Cas was still staring at him. Then the tension drained out of his shoulders, he licked his lips and went back to watching the stars. “I’d like that too, Dean.”

He doubted that they’d go back to normal right away but whatever contention was between them had eased. “I like to sit here when I can’t sleep while we are in hyperspace.”

“It’s relaxing.” Cas agreed. “I never knew.”

Dean chuckled. “Not been on a ship much?”

“Only to go places the Council sent me. Often I was busy in transit.” Cas’s voice sounded wistful.

“Well, you aren’t missing much. I’ve been in these things most of my life.” Dean admitted as he leaned back in his seat and propped his feet on the control panel before him “I used to envy people who had normal lives on every planet we went to.”

“That must have been hard.”

Dean chuckled. “Probably. I don’t think about it much. Did you ever wonder what it was like? To not be a Jedi?”

“Sometimes.” Cas leaned back against his seat too, but instead of putting his feet up, he crossed one leg so his foot was resting on the opposite knee. “I don’t really remember my parents. I am told I have brothers, but I don’t remember them either.” He breathed out through his nose, which sounded almost like a sigh. “The Temple is a busy place. Most often, I had too much to do to think of such things.”

Dean snorted. “Sounds like neither of us had a normal childhood.”

Cas simply nodded. A comfortable silence stretched out between them. Dean was used to traveling with Sam and there were times when they were quiet, just enjoying the company of the other. This felt like that in a way, however, Dean was aware of Cas in a way that he wasn’t Sam. He could hear every shift and rustle of fabric, the soft sound of his breath. He was tempted to reach out and touch him. Nothing major, just a fingertip to the back of a hand. He tried watching Cas in his peripheral vision, saw him lean his head against the headrest, his eyes closing. Dean thought he could sleep here too. It was nice… having Cas close by.

“Hey,” Something had just occurred to Dean. “Where the hell are we going?”

Cas chuckled and told him.


	8. Neon and Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “The guy’s a homicidal maniac.” Dean said, his arms crossing over his chest. “I swear Cas, we didn’t deal with him.” 
> 
> “I believe you, Dean.” Castiel said, frowning as he tapped his lips with his fingers. “Can you think of any connection at all?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As predicted, grad school has eaten my face off. I will try to update as frequently as I can without also failing my classes. If you are still reading, thank you!
> 
> Beta'd by Andromytta. (She keeps me going!)

The alarm that notified them that they were approaching Nar Shadaa sounded around midday. Sam was in his room practicing his meditation (which he did frequently now that he had briefly touched the Force on his own) and Dean was just finishing up a sandwich with Cas. They’d been talking about the relative dangers of attempting to find another job for the Winchesters.

“Cas, we need credits to run the ship.” Dean was saying as he dropped the dishes into the dishwasher.

“Yes, Dean, I understand this however doing this on Nar Shadaa runs the risk of attracting the notice of several different gangs…” The beeping cut Castiel’s words off and Dean used the distraction to duck out of the conversation and head to the bridge. Cas followed him.

Cas went on as Dean climbed into the pilot’s seat. “Perhaps you and Sam could focus on repairs while I meet my contact.”

Dean tossed a look over his shoulder at the Jedi before he took the controls. “Yes to the repairs but no to staying here. Cas, one of us is going to go with you.”

“Dean, there is little reason….”

“Look, man. You are stuck with us now and this is the way it’s going to be. No more secrets, got it?” He gave the other man a firm nod while he pretended to not see the growing frown on Cas’s face. There were times when it was clear to Dean that Cas was used to having his words obeyed. It probably was a Jedi thing. Dean was his own man and he would do what he thought was best. Right now, it was them against the world. There was no way he wanted them spread too thin. “If we have enough to repair Baby with what we got from Jabba, we’ll look elsewhere for a job. If not, we are going to have to take something.”

Cas sighed. “Perhaps my contact will help us find something helpful.”

“Who is this contact anyways?” Dean hated going into a situation blind. The more he knew, the better he would feel.

“Don’t worry about her, Dean. She’s been a friend for a long time.” Castiel told him as he settled into the co-pilot’s seat and turned to the controls.

Dean found it strange that hearing Cas say so made him feel a little bit better. He frowned as Cas touched the display screen and began to read the information there. “Do you know how to pilot?”

“Yes, Dean. I admit I haven’t flown something so large, however.” Cas didn’t look up as he spoke, instead he seemed to be skimming the instructions on how to maneuver the ship.

Dean’s brow knit as he tried to think of a smaller ship type until it came to him. “Fighters. You know how to pilot a fighter ship.”

“Yes, Dean. I fought in the war like the rest of the Jedi. Star battles were part of this.” Cas’s gravelly voice was completely patient as he rattled off the names of two or three battles he’d been in. “I have no idea how relevant that experience will be here.”

“Baby doesn’t have that kind of speed or maneuverability. Still, you’ll probably pick it up soon enough.” Dean had no intention of releasing the helm to Cas but he could use the help to get them planet side. A comfortable silent stretched over the cockpit as they came out of hyperspace of the glowing world of Nar Shadaa. It was telling that you could see the glow of neon from space. Every inch of the planet was covered in light, but unlike Coruscant, the brilliant colors gave the place a seedy air. Dean had only been there a time or two; his father liked to pick up bounties there. Typically, he and Sam had been left on the ship but as he’d gotten older, his father had taken him to a couple of the catinas to familiarize him with the process of finding bounties. Cas, it seemed, was far more familiar with the place. As they waited for clearance to land, Dean turned to the Jedi.

“Come here often?” He said, leering at the man next to him.

Cas’s head whipped around and he blinked owlishly at Dean, his head tilting to the side. His answer was slow when it came. “On occasion but not too frequently.”

“Know a good place to have a drink?” Dean leaned forward, crossing his arms over the armrest of his seat.

“I suppose I do.” Cas’s answers were still coming slowly, except now he was beginning to blush. His cheeks pinked under Dean’s gaze and his eyes flicked to Dean’s lips.

Dean licked them because… well, he wasn’t sure why he was flirting with a Jedi, whom he knew were like monks. Perhaps that was why he was flirting with him. Of course, Cas was hot. He wasn’t going to deny that. Dean also thought it was cute when Cas was confused. “Maybe you can show me.”

“Of course, Dean.” Cas was staring as if he could see through Dean and straight into his head.

The com sounded and they were given landing clearance and coordinates to the space port. The next few moments were spent preparing to cross into Nar Shadaa’s atmosphere and after that, to the space port where they would land. Sometime in all of that, Sam came to join them in the cockpit.

As soon as they were on the ground in a docking bay, Dean spurred them into action. “Sammy, why don’t you research the best place to buy the parts we need from here. Cas and I are going to meet his contact.”

Cas accepted this without argument. Sam, however, gave Dean a suspicious look. “Okay. Any reason you want me to stay here?”

“Nope, I think it’ll be best if we know who to deal with ahead of time. Cas thinks that we need to get out of here quickly. You’re the best with navigating the holonet.”

Sam nodded slowly. “That makes sense.”

With Sam mollified, Dean could breathe a sigh of relief. It wasn’t that he didn’t want Sam off the ship, it was simply that he wanted to gauge the Republic response here. Clearly Cas could take care of himself but Sam was new to the Force, it was best if they waited a bit before putting Sam in danger.

Cas was waiting for him near the exit when Dean came out of the cockpit. He’d put on the ugly duster, though now it had several burn marks on the sleeves and the side. Somehow it made Cas look a little more dangerous.

“Ready?” Dean asked as he de-activated the airlock and opened the exterior door.

“Yes, Dean.” Cas was right behind him as they walked down the ramp.

It took Dean a few moments to deal with the space port personnel; this time a Bothan with a small droid. After that was squared away, they left the docking bay and rode the elevator up to the main level of the space port. Multicolored lights bled in from the outer doors. Cas took the lead as they walked out into the warm air and crossed the small courtyard to the taxi stand. Within moments, they were whizzing past brothels, catinas, and casinos. The sound of voices and speeders filled the air. Within the crush of humanity, Dean knew they could hide themselves fairly easily. It didn’t help him relax; he stayed on guard with his eyes on Cas.

*****

Castiel waited before the taxi left before he started moving. They were in the Red Light district, which was seedy but par for the course for Nar Shadaa. While it was a hot bed for sin and Spice manufacture,  it also tended to be one of the less violent places on the planet.

“Jeez Cas,” Dean said as he looked around them to all the signs that proclaimed both girls and boys were available for a price. “I would never have thought you were the type.”

Castiel glanced back at Dean, his expression neutral as he spoke. “You realize that there are no rules against physical relationships so long as one isn’t emotionally involved.”

He was rewarded by a splutter from Dean. He didn’t have to tell him that the only reason he knew such a thing was because Balthazar had told him.

“I didn’t know that.” Dean said, looking suspiciously at Castiel.

Castiel himself had no frame of reference for this, he had never had the occasion nor the inclination to try such a thing. Dean really didn’t need to know that. He simply smiled at Dean, his eyes searching the other man’s face for a moment before he led them away from the taxi stand and deeper into the Red Light district. Dean caught up to him in a few short steps. The streets were lined with prostitutes of all species as well as the usual unfortunate spice addicts that begged for credits in order to score another hit. While Castiel might have empathy for them, he didn’t stop. There was no way he could save them all.

They turned down an alley way between a strip club and a dingy looking store front, stepping over a drunken Nautolan in the process. He was aware of Dean crowding a little closer. At first he thought the smuggler was nervous, however, a moment later he realized that the man’s hand was on his blaster. Dean was ready to protect him if need be. There was something charming about that and before he knew it, a warm feeling was spreading across Castiel’s chest. He tried to shake it off as he came to the door he was looking for. He paused to ring the buzzer and then to enter the key code to the door. They both hurried in. The door hissed closed behind them. In comparison to the outer street, the room they stood in was immaculately clean and pleasant smelling.

“Stay close.” Castiel reached out to catch Dean’s arm before he wandered off.

Before either man could truly move, a flash of red hair buzzed through the room before a short form collided with Castiel’s body.

“Castiel! You’re alive!!!!!” Charlie was squeezing him so tightly he could scarcely breathe.  “After that horrible order, I’ve spent hours trying to find out what happened to you.” She let him go and pushed back to look up at him with green eyes that were shimmering with unshed tears.

Castiel awkwardly patted Charlie’s shoulder. “I didn’t want to contact you in case I was being monitored. It’s dangerous for you to be associated with me.”

Charlie gave him a rather dry look as she pressed her lips together and raised an eyebrow. “Because they can trace me.” She snorted before grabbing his coat and pulling him back in to another back breaking hug. Once she let him go, she whirled to face Dean with an irrepressible grin on her face. “Who’s your friend?”

“Charlie, this is Dean Winchester. Dean, this is Charlie.” Castiel effected introductions quickly.

“Nice to meet you, Dean.” Charlie went straight to Dean and shook the hand he was offering her. “Any friend of Castiel’s is welcome here.” She gave him a good look over. “You don’t look like a Jedi.”

“I’m not.” Dean said, a grin spreading across his face as he took to Charlie almost immediately. “I’m an independent transporter of goods.”

“A smuggler? Awesome!” Charlie nearly cackled in delight. “Come on in.” She led the way from the anteroom deeper into the apartment.

Dean gave Castiel a significant look before he turned to follow Charlie which left him to bring up the rear. The next room held a couple chairs, a couch, and a massive computer that held several screens and took up the entirety of one of the walls. Dean let out a whistle as he saw it.

Charlie grinned as she plopped herself down in the chair immediately in front of the computer while Castiel took a chair next to her. “I doubt you’re here for a visit, even though I’m awesome and I love you.” Charlie said as she swiveled the chair to face the computer screens.

Castiel sighed, his expression stricken for a moment. He truly hadn’t meant to make Charlie worry; it was clear he’d underestimated his importance to her. “Apologies, Charlie. I truly didn’t think you’d worry.”

She shook her head. “You Jedi. You’re all emotionally constipated.”

“That’s because emotions pave the road to the dark side.” He answered, almost automatically.

“Pffft. I’ll never believe that.” Charlie said, her reply almost as automatic. It would seem that this was an old argument between them. Her expression softened as she tossed a wink to Dean. “What is it you need?”

“We encountered a bounty hunter recently on Tatooine.” Castiel started, glancing over to Dean.

Dean took over. “It was some douche named Gordon Walker. We want to know who the hell hired him.”

“I’ve heard of Gordon Walker before.” Charlie said as she plugged in her neural jack and began to work, slicing into the holonet. “He’s a nasty piece of work. Takes any job but prefers the ones where the target is wanted dead. He doesn’t like to pull his punches, apparently.”

“I’ll say.” Dean muttered, unconsciously rubbing his nose.

Charlie looked at him curiously but shrugged and went back to work. “I’ll have whoever hired him in no time at all.”

Castiel considered what he would ask next. He knew what he wanted to know, however, as he thought of it, his stomach tied into knots. Did he truly want to ask about his friends?

The sound of scrolling numbers from the screens on the wall stopped as the information Charlie was looking for appeared before her. “Here we are. Your bounty hunter was hired by a gang lord by the name of Azazel. That’s bad news, Dean.” She looked over her shoulder with concern in her eyes. “What did you do?”

“Me?” Dean looked decidedly upset. “Sam and I stay away from Azazel and his lot. They are fucking nuts.”

“Who is Azazel?” Castiel asked, taking in their expressions with a sense of dread settling over him.

“Azazel has his hands in as many markets as the galaxy has to offer. Spices, weapons, artefacts, if it is illegal and sought after, he deals in it. It’s not just illegal trade now either. Lately he’s been getting into politics. I know he was funneling money to Senator Palpatine when he ran for Supreme Chancellor. Of course, he was playing both sides of the fence there too – he was giving money to the separatists too. Now that Palpatine is in charge, Azazel’s prospects have moved up in the world. He’s assumed control of several of the droid factories on Balmorra.” Charlie was reading the words off the screen to them as fast as they scrolled by.

“The guy’s a homicidal maniac.” Dean said, his arms crossing over his chest. “I swear Cas, we didn’t deal with him.”

“I believe you, Dean.” Castiel said, frowning as he tapped his lips with his fingers. “Can you think of any connection at all?”

“Dad used to work with him, but it was only once or twice.” Dean said, his expression moving from thoughtful to worried. “That may be it. My Dad pissed a lot of people off, especially right at the end.”

“Who was your father?” Charlie asked without turning around.

“John Winchester.”

A silence spread across the room while Charlie worked. “Are you sure it was just one or two? I can see the records of at least 10 transactions between them. The most occurring right before John’s death.” Charlie said as she highlighted the transactions for Dean to look at.

“Son of a bitch.” Dean groused, clearly not liking what he heard from the expression on his face. “What the hell was he doing?”

“There’s a couple of bounties here, pretty normal fair. The rest are unspecified. I can likely find out what they were, but that’s going to take some digging.” Charlie turned her grin on Dean. “Not to worry. If it’s on the net, then I will find it.” She entered another couple of commands and then turned to Castiel. “Was there something else?”

Castiel took a deep breath. “Do you have a listing of the Jedi confirmed dead?”

Charlie’s expression saddened as she tapped a couple of keys. “I sent it to your data pad.”

“Thank you.” Castiel drew the datapad out of the inner pocket of his coat. He booted the datapad and opened the file that she’d sent. He thought he would be nauseous. “So many…” He murmured to himself. A touch to the back of his hand startled him. Charlie had laid her hand on the back of his. Across the room, Dean was looking at him with some concern. He turned back to the datapad, reading the names in silence.

Charlie turned back to the screen. “What is this?” She leaned closer and brought up a screen that floated just in front of her face. “There’s been another set of hits on both Dean and Sam Winchester.”  She frowned as she reached out and flipped the screen with her fingers.

“What does that mean?” Dean got up and leaned over her shoulder to get a closer look.

“It means someone else is looking for you two. These aren’t Azazel’s style. They are well done and whoever it is has gone to lengths to keep themselves from being discovered.”

“Fuck.” Dean started to pace, he didn’t like anything about this. “What the hell is this?”

“These hits go back six months or more.” Charlie told him, her fingers still moving as she tried to trace the hits. Finally, she shook her head. “This is going to take some time. The hits have come from three different worlds: Alderaan, Ord Mantell, and Takodana.”

Dean gave her a blank look. “I’ve never been to any of those worlds?”

“You sure?” Charlie said with a laugh. “You’re birth certificate is from Alderaan.”

“Are you shitting me?” Once again, Dean went to her chair. His father had never mentioned Alderaan to him and his memories of his childhood were hazy at best.

This time Charlie leaned aside to let him see. On her screen two certificates were glowing side by side. One for Sam, one for Dean. Dean read them closely. They were exactly correct. Dean had been born January 24 to Mary and John Winchester and Sam was recorded to have been born May 2. Both births were recorded as having occurred at home. Dean found he wanted to reach out and touch the certificate as if this would bring the memories to him. Nothing came.

Charlie patted his hand, which startled Dean. “Look, this search is going to take some time. Why don’t you and Mr. Serious over there go get a drink? I’ll find you when I know something more.” When Dean nodded, Charlie nudged him to the door. “Go up to Twi’lek’s Haven. Tell the bartender I sent you. His name is Kevin. I promise he’ll hook you up.”

Dean walked over to Cas, tucked a hand under the man’s arm to pull the man up. When Cas looked up at him with confusion, he smiled and drew him towards the door. “Come on. You look like you need a drink as much as I do.”


	9. My place in the galaxy.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’ve always been Castiel, a Jedi knight in service of the galaxy. The galaxy has decided it no longer needs Jedi. What am I now?”
> 
> “You are Cas.” Dean said finally. “And we need you here.”

On their walk to the bar that Charlie had indicated, Dean had used the comlinks to contact Sam and let him know what was going on.

 _“What the hell?”_ Sam’s voice crackled softly over the com as they walked.

“I know, man.” Dean’s eyes darted around them but all he saw were the broken down homeless wallowing in the alleyways.

_“Why do I think this is another way that Dad has screwed us?”_

“You don’t know that, Sammy.” Dean felt the familiar annoyance that always came when he and Sam talked about their father.

_“We pretty much have solid evidence that…”_

Dean cut him off. “Look, Moose. I’m sending our coordinates to you, Come join us if you want to talk. Bring the info you’ve got and we’ll decide where to go from here.”

 _“Got it.”_ Sam clicked off.

At his side, Castiel was more silent than usual. Okay, that wasn’t exactly true. Cas was usually silent however this silence held weight whereas it usually was comfortable. Dean had grown used to that. This was something else. “Are you okay?” Cas didn’t respond though he stopped walking when Dean stopped before Twi’lek’s Haven, the bar where Charlie had sent them. “Cas.” He reached out and pressed against Cas’s shoulder.

Only then did the Jedi’s eyes snap up to Dean. “I’m sorry, Dean. What did you say?”

Dean frowned, concern marking his features. “Are you okay, man? You seem out of it.”

Cas stared at Dean, his blue eyes looking lost. “I don’t think so.” Another beat went by before he nodded to the bar. “Let’s just get a drink, Dean.”

Dean could get behind those words. He led the way into the bar. It was bathed in blue light and music suffused the atmosphere. Against the far wall was a stage for the live band. Two more twi’leks danced on small circular platforms attached to the stage. Throughout the bar there were person sized cages suspended from the ceiling where more twi’lek men and women danced above the heads of the people on the dance floor. Dean had to admit that there was a _lot_ of eye candy available. There was a long curving bar to their right which took up the length of the wall. Two bartenders were working at the moment. Dean spotted Kevin because the other bartender was a female twi’lek with pink skin. The blue lights weren’t doing her any favors.

Dean made a bee line towards the end of the bar where Kevin was pouring drinks. The guy was short with an Asian appearance, his dark hair cut close to his ears.

“What can I get for you guys?” Kevin asked as he eyed the two of them.

“A couple of shots of Corellian whiskey.” As an afterthought, Dean added. “Each. Oh, and Charlie said to tell you that she sent us.”

Kevin grinned as he poured out the whiskey for the both of them. “Charlie, huh? She’s a good friend. I see her pretty often.”

“She’s a friend of my buddy here.” Dean nodded to Castiel.

In the time he’d been talking to Kevin, Cas had not only drank both of his shots, but both of Dean’s as well. “More please.” The Jedi pushed all four glasses towards Kevin.

“Your friend probably should slow down.” The young man suggested as he refilled all four glasses. Another patron called Kevin down the bar.

“Jeez, Cas. Save some for me.” Dean sat in the seat next to the man and pulled two of the glasses to him.

“Apologies.” Cas said as he picked up the next two glasses and downed them one after another. “I think I’m starting to feel something.”

Dean looked at Castiel for a long moment. “What gives?”

Castiel blinked, seeming to carefully consider his answer before he spoke. He tapped the datapad that he’d laid on the bar. “So many are dead. My friends, the last young Jedi I worked with… all of them. Almost all the people I knew are dead now.” His eyes shone in the blue light, perhaps a trick of the strangely colored light fixtures or maybe it was emotion. Dean was coming to understand that Cas did express his feelings however they were so understated that they were easy to miss.

Dean found that he had no clue what he could say to that. Instead he drank his shots and after thinking about it, he laid his hand on Cas’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

Castiel tensed under Dean’s hand as he looked closely into Dean’s face, his gaze searching. Once again, Dean felt as though those blue eyes were peering straight through him to his very soul. Whatever Cas saw in his face, it was enough and the man relaxed. Castiel ducked his head and murmured, “Thank you Dean.”

Kevin came back and refilled their glasses. Once again, Cas downed both of his straight away and tapped the bar to indicate that he wanted a refill.

Kevin complied easily enough. “You must have gotten some really horrible news.”

Dean picked up his glass but paused with it close to his lips. “You can’t even imagine.”

Kevin shrugged and settled in to wash glasses at a sink nearby.

Dean was beginning to worry that Cas would do himself some damage after he downed another two shots. “Maybe Kev over there is right. You should slow down.”

“I want… to fuzz it out.” He dropped his voice and leaned over so his lips were almost against Dean’s ear. Dean couldn’t stop the shiver in response. “The force.” Cas whispered, confiding in Dean before he drew himself back, his eye falling to the datapad.

Dean reached out and took it. Without any comment, he tucked it into one of the pockets of his leather jacket. Cas made no comments and let him do it.

*****

When Sam laid eyes on his brother and (now) Jedi master, he knew something was wrong. This wasn’t just the whole cluster with Azazel but something that affected Cas too. When he took a stool to the other side of Cas, he had a feeling that he shouldn’t ask. Instead, Sam laid a hand on the Jedi’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. Cas looked at him with a nod.

Sam decided not to wait on his news. “So get this: we need way more parts then we thought. There are scorches on the hull from Tatooine, and that run we had getting to Balmorra left some nasty damage to some of the ship’s systems. We’ve done our best to jury rig things, but honestly, those fixes won’t last forever.”

Dean sighed. “What you are trying to say is that we need more money than we’ve got.”

Sam laid down his datapad in front of Cas so they could all see it. A long list of parts along with how much they cost scrolled down the screen. “In a word, yes.”

“I can help you find a good place to buy what you need.” The voice startled them all. When Sam looked up, he saw a young Asian man who looked slightly younger than him. He wore a nametag that read “Kevin” and was presumably the bartender.

“Um…“ Sam begin as Kevin poured him out two shots of whiskey, then refilled for both Dean and Cas. Sam was a little shocked by how fast his mentor knocked them back.

“This is Kevin, Sam.” Dean said, filling in the blanks for Sam. “Cas’s friend Charlie sent us to him so he’s okay.”

“How do you know where to get a better deal?” Sam asked, still somewhat suspicious of the newcomer.

Kevin’s face twisted in amusement. “I’m a bartender in a skeevy dive. Knowing where to get things cheap, especially things that are contraband, is part of the job description.” He shrugged, clearly nonplussed. “I also know where you can pick up jobs moving ‘goods’ that won’t get you killed. That’s gonna cost you though.”

Sam exchanged a look with Dean. When he tried to look at Cas, all he got back was a glassy eyed stare. He was beginning to suspect the Jedi was drunk.

Dean shrugged. “Fine, I’ll bite. What’s the price?”

Kevin leaned close, his voice dropping. “Take me to Alderaan.”

Sam winced. Alderaan was crawling with the Republic right now simply because of how opposed to Supreme Chancellor Palpatine Bel Antilles had been. When he looked at Dean, it was clear that his brother was about to decline. Sam did what he did best; he stepped in to negotiate. “Alright, Kevin. Let’s talk this out. Alderaan would be particularly dangerous for us. _If_ we go there, you have to make it very much worth our while. A safe job and a discount on parts.”

Kevin’s eyes brightened as he leaned both elbows on the bar. He refilled all the shot glasses, starting with Sam’s first. Sam ignored them. Kevin nodded once, noticing the gesture. “You’ll have to break up that list of yours. You’ll need to get your stuff from different dealers. If anyone thinks you’ve got a big some of money, they’ll jack the prices. It’s all about knowing who has what and I know who has what.” He pointed out mildly as he tugged the datapad towards him. He started dividing the list up into separate sections. “I know who has what.”

Sam nodded. “We can’t get it all at once anyways. I want the parts to fix the interior systems first.” Beside him, he could see Dean frowning. Sam could almost predict his brother’s reaction to the deal: he wouldn’t like going somewhere dangerous for Sam (and possibly Cas) however, Sam thought he could get around him. While Kevin was looking over the datapad, Sam leaned over to his brother. “Look, we need money to fix Baby. This will get us the most for our money and help us find a job that is safer than the Hutt thing.”

Dean opened his mouth to speak, but Cas spoke up first. “One of the hits Charlie found came from Alderaan.” The Jedi was still considerably glassy eyed and now swaying a little bit, but his expression was serious and thoughtful.

“Hits?” Sam said, drawing a blank.  
 Dean shot Cas a frustrated stare, likely he’d considered keeping this information from Sam. A beginning bitch face began to slide into face at the thought but Sam remained quiet for Dean to speak.

“Cas’s friend, Charlie, is a slicer. She hunted down who hired that douchebag hunter.” Dean took a deep breath and went on, this time slower. It was clear he didn’t want to tell Sam. “There was someone else looking for us. Someone who wasn’t Azazel. Charlie didn’t know who, but she found that there were different hits on the holonet possibly from the same person. One of them came from Alderaan.”

“And when were you going to tell me this?” Sam said in mounting frustration. “I’m not a child, Dean. I don’t need my big brother to protect me.”

Dean visibly flinched from Sam’s last words. It was a low blow but Sam didn’t care. He barely was listening when his brother spoke. “Listen, this was an unknown entity. I just wanted to worry about one thing at a time. Azazel first.” Sam just snorted. “We didn’t know who the other was… it just made sense to wait for Charlie to know more.”

Sam knew that did make sense, but at this point, it was the principle of the thing. Before he could say anything else, Cas’s fingers touched his sleeve. “Anger isn’t always your friend, Sam.”

The words made Sam gape. Anger was a consistent companion for Sam, whether it was anger at his Dad, anger at Dean, anger at being helpless or seen as inept. His thoughts turned inward to himself and truly thought about it. Why was he so angry all the time? He looked up into the fathomless blue of Castiel’s eyes and only saw patience and concern there. The anger drained out of him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kevin moving to refill Dean and Cas’s drinks. He caught the bartender’s wrist to stop him. “They’ve had enough.”

Kevin nodded and refilled Sam’s glass before moving down the bar to see to someone else. Dean spluttered at being cut off. “What the hell, man?”

“You two are both extremely drunk. Especially him.” Sam indicated Cas.

“All my friends are dead, Sam.” The words were delivered with a resigned matter of fact air that hurt more than if they’d be given with pain. The regret in them was palpable.

Sam softened his stance and finally removed Cas’s fingers from his sleeve. “You need to rest.”

“I could clear the alcohol out right now if I needed to.” Cas promised, though his words were slurred and his eyes bright.

“Dude, what’s the point of getting drunk?” Dean grabbed Cas’s shoulder to stop his swaying then stood. He was solid on his feet and clearly a good deal more sober than Cas. It seemed the Jedi had been stealing drinks; Sam was missing one already. It stood to reason that he’d been doing it to Dean too. There was no way to tell how much the Jedi had consumed.

“To forget?” Cas suggested as if he wasn’t quite sure himself.

Sam sighed and looked to Dean. “Take him home. I’ll work with Kevin to buy the parts and find a job. We can start repairs in the morning. It’ll give this Charlie time to get us more information before we leave the planet.”

“Fine.” Dean’s expression was far from accepting this idea, but he didn’t say anything. Instead, he slipped an arm under Cas’s arm and around his back and hoisted him from the bar stool. “Come on, Sunshine, let’s get you to bed.”

Sam watched them go then turned back to Kevin. “Help me with the parts and the job tonight, then we can get you to Alderaan… after repairs are completed and we finish the job safely.”

“Fine.” Kevin said, shaking Sam’s hand over the datapad. “It’s better than rotting here. So, here’s who you need to get these from.”

Sam could tell it was going to be a long night for him.

*****

The walk back was a blur for Castiel. The lights all bled together and the voices were a jumble to his hazy senses. Normally this kind of thing was extremely disconcerting for the heightened sense of a Jedi, however, the quantities of alcohol he had consumed had reduced his connection to the Force so at the moment, he really was just another drunk guy, albeit one that was extremely inebriated. The only thing that felt real and solid to him was Dean. He knew Dean was drunk because he could smell the whiskey on him but he also understood that it was less than what Cas was experiencing now.

Cas. He’d thought of himself as that. He hadn’t before. Always, he was Castiel the Jedi in his thoughts and his own mind. He was secure in that person, he understood what was required of him and who he should be, what he should do. Cas… was something the Winchester created. It was more than a nickname. It was who he was becoming now that the Jedi were gone. Without the order, what the hell was he anyways?

He’d been holding these thoughts at bay for quite some time now. He knew that having an existential crisis while on the run wasn’t exactly convenient. Seeing the names of all his friends though, that had broken loose whatever piece was holding him together. He felt responsible for Inias’s death, after all, he’d been there with the young man. If they’d stayed together then he’d likely still be alive today. That was on him. After that, it had been the sheer volume of the list itself. He’d read names of those more powerful and important than himself: Aayla Secura or Master Mace Windu. While shocking, those weren’t nearly as jarring as those he knew. Anna had met her end on Coruscant, as had Rachel and Hester. They’d likely believed themselves to be safe inside the Temple. Balthazar had died on Kashyyyk; even the thought of how much his friend must have hated the Wookie home world wouldn’t take the sting from the news.

Castiel realized that he was truly alone in the galaxy. Presumably, the Republic now had a list of those who were missing which now held his name. He shivered at the thought for he’d never really been alone before, not completely. Even on missions when he worked on his own, he knew that the entirety of the Jedi order was behind him. Now all he had was the Force.

Even as the thought occurred to him, Dean tightened his arm around Cas’s back and tugged him upwards because he’d started to drag behind. In something akin to wonder, he looked up at Dean with the realization that he wasn’t really alone, was he?

Dean wasn’t looking at him, he was focused on whatever was ahead of them, which was relief in a way, it meant that the other man didn’t see how the relief washed over Cas like a wave and set him to floating. He was buoyed on this strange feeling, of companionship he’d never truly known before and didn’t understand yet deeply craved. He almost reached out to touch Dean’s cheek in the moment but was stopped when Dean began to wrestle him into a taxi.

“Little help here, Cas.” Dean grunted as he more or less dropped the Jedi into the backseat.

“Apologies, Dean.” Cas tried to bring his legs into the vehicle but it was decidedly difficult. They didn’t want to obey him. It took a monumental effort for him to arrange himself before they could leave.

The droid piloting the taxi looked at the pair of them with what should have been disgust if droids could make such a face. “Kindly insure that your friend does not vomit in the back of my taxi.”

“Shut up and take us to the space port, Rusty.” Dean groused as he leaned into Cas’s side.

“Well, I never.” The droid muttered as it took off.

The ride to the space port was more of a blur than the walk had been. Before he knew it, Dean was dragging him from the taxi. It took him longer than he thought it should to get his legs under him, but once he was upright, he could move under his own power as long as he could lean heavily into Dean. He noticed that Dean was leaning back just as heavily. They rode the elevator up to the docking bay and staggered across to Baby that way. The point of warmth where there sides touched make Cas want to blush for some unknown reason. It felt nice, however, so he wanted to stay that way.

Once in the ship, Dean walked with him to his quarters and dumped him on the bed. Cas fell easily onto the soft surface but didn’t let go of Dean so he pulled the other man down with him. Dean clearly was too drunk to keep standing against the resistance but rolled to the side he wasn’t on top of Cas. Instead they lay side by side, half on and half off the side of the bed. Cas turned towards Dean and simply looked at him, taking in each his features before his eyes landed on Dean’s shapely lips.

“Get in bed, Cas, sleep.” Dean said, sounding more amused than anything else. He shifted, sitting himself on the edge of the bed. He started pulling at Cas’s coat to remove it. Cas let him do it.

“Jedi don’t have to sleep, you know.” Cas told him as he moved to let Dean drag the coat out from under him. He scooted towards the middle of the bed but left his legs hanging off still.

“But you do.” Dean pointed out as he tossed the duster over a chair.

“I like it.” Cas told him as he reached up to strip Dean out of his coat.

Dean seemed amused by this. “Then sleep, Cas.”

“I… will you leave?” The words tumbled out before Cas could truly think about them. After the night he’d had, he didn’t want to be alone. He didn’t want to admit that he hurt, that his heart ached for his dead friends, and the sudden realization of how alone he was in the galaxy pressed heavily upon his chest.

“I…” Whatever Dean was going to say, he changed his mind. Instead, he shrugged out of his coat, seeming to understand. “A guy loses his buddies all in one day, I think he’s allowed a little leeway.” Dean began to toe out of his boots next.

“Thank you, Dean.” Castiel reached for his boots but ended up having to sit up to truly take them off. Jedi boots weren’t exactly easy to tug off. When they were sitting side by side again, Cas found himself staring at Dean once more. This time, he reached out to touch Dean’s cheek. Dean looked a little startled but again, accepted it. “You are too kind, Dean. I’ve never… no one..” He had no clue what he meant to say.

“Don’t worry about it, Cas.” Dean laid a hand on his shoulder and lightly pushed Cas over on the bed, then maneuvered him so he was lying on it properly.

“Am I?” Cas said as Dean turned the lights off in the cabin.

“Are you what?” The mattress dipped as Dean lay down next to him.

“Is that who I am now, Dean?” He said, suddenly very aware of the slur in his voice as he turned towards Dean. Their knees bumped.

“I don’t understand.” Dean seemed to be wrestling with the blankets underneath them though Cas couldn’t figure out why.

“I’ve always been Castiel, a Jedi knight in service of the galaxy. The galaxy has decided it no longer needs Jedi. What am I now?”

The warmth of blankets surrounded his shoulders as Dean tucked him in. “You are Cas.” Dean said finally. “And we need you here.”

The words dropped around Castiel like saving grace. He gripped them like a lifeline and wrapped Dean up in a hug. “Then I’ll stay here.”

Dean stiffened for a moment, then relaxed in Castiel’s arms. “You do that, Cas. Stay here and we’ll take care of you.”

Warm lips skimmed over Cas’s forehead. He’d never been kissed before but receiving it felt right. He returned it, his lips finding Dean’s cheek. “Thank you.” He murmured, his eyes drooping closed against his will. This moment was important. Every fiber of his being told him that, but it was slipping away from him into the arms of sleep.

*****

Dean knew he shouldn’t kiss Cas. He shouldn’t wrap him up in his arms and draw him close to his body to sleep. As soon as the other man’s breathing evened out, that’s exactly what Dean did, pulling Cas in so they were twined together and drew his lips across the man’s forehead, his cheeks, his lips. “It’s going to be okay, Cas.” He shouldn’t, he knew that, but he did it anyways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does anyone have requests for where our boys go for their next job? I'd love to hear them!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	10. The Enemy of My Enemy is also My Friend.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “He’s a Jedi, that’s what they do.” Charlie pointed out, raising an eyebrow as her eyes searched his face. She punched his arm. “Come on, Dean! It’s cool to have a Jedi on your side.”
> 
> “Yeah, it’s great.” Dean supposed it was, however, there was a lot of trouble associated with it too. So far, Cas had been worth the trouble.

Cas woke with an unfortunate pounding in the back of his skull. He tried to sink back into sleep as he burrowed into the warmth of the bed. The light that had woken him didn’t go away so he reached for the switch, stretching his arm across the bed. He turned into something warm but surprisingly solid that impeded his progress.

That ‘something’ gave a disgruntled murmur. “Whazz’at?”

Cas startled and looked down to realize that he was leaning over Dean. In fact, he was practically lying on top of him. His head was pounding, everything hurt, and he had no idea how he ended up in bed (fully clothed). He was, however, comfortable so he quit worrying about the light and shielded his face against Dean’s chest. When he settled, Dean settled. He could feel the warmth of Dean’s breath against the side of his face. This too was quite nice. He began to drift once more.

“Seriously, you two?” Sam’s disgruntled voice came from roughly the location of the door.

This time, Dean groaned. “Come on, Sammy. Have a heart. We’re hungover here!”

He hadn’t realized that Dean was awake but somehow, Cas wasn’t surprised. He decided that Dean could handle it and stayed still.

“That’s your own fault. Kevin and I got the parts and we are ready for you to start repairs.” Sam’s footsteps were loud as he crossed the cabin and pulled the blankets off the both of them.

Dean sat up to glare at Sam, thus removing himself from the comfortable cuddling arrangement that they had found overnight. With a sigh, Cas got up himself. He tossed his legs over the side of the bed then, with a groan, he laid his head in his hands.

Sam looked at him with little sympathy. “Go take some painkillers. There’s breakfast on the bar.”

Dean looked up hopefully. “Bacon?”

Sam rolled his eyes. “Just get up, Dean. You have repairs to do.”

“What are you and Cas going to do?” Dean shot back as he slipped from the bed.

“Cas and I are going to go meet a man about a job.” Sam said as he tossed a bottle of painkillers to Cas.

Cas caught the painkillers and twisted them open. Instead of taking them himself, he passed them off to Dean before sliding bonelessly to a crossed legged position on the floor.

“Cas? Buddy, meditating isn’t going to help.” Dean said from a short distance away, presumably leaning over the bed to speak to him.

“I bet it does, Dean.” Sam said with a snort. “Jedi meditate to heal themselves.”

True enough, as soon as Cas settled into his meditative stance the hangover was flushed from his blood and his head cleared.

“I hate you both.” Dean snorted. As Cas stood, he was aware of a scuffled behind him and turned to see that Sam was being wrestled out of the door by a scowling Dean.

“Dean.” Cas crossed the room and stopped next to the smuggler.

“Yeah Cas?” Dean’s eyes passed over his face seriously.

Instead of answering, Cas reached out to press two fingers to Dean’s forehead. He concentrated and felt the Force run down his arm and out into Dean. Almost immediately the pinched frown on Dean’s forehead eased. “Better?”

Dean shook his head in amusement then smiled at him. “Yeah. Thanks Cas.”

“You’re welcome, Dean.”

*****

It took Dean and Cas a little more time to get themselves together, have coffee, and eat breakfast but Sam decided that it would have been longer if Cas hadn’t cured their hangovers with the Force. Once Dean was settled in to repair Baby (and bitching for all that he was worth), Sam had left the ship with Cas intent on meeting Kevin back in the Red Light District. Things were companionable until they reached the edge of the sector, which was where they were meeting Kevin. Sam shifted foot to foot while Cas seemed to be taking in their surroundings.

“Feel anything?” The deep rumble of Cas’s voice surprised Sam.

Sam glanced at him, and then finally shook his head. “Not like Tatooine.”

“Perhaps you should try.”

Sam felt a subtle rush at the suggestion from the person who was technically his master in the way of the Force. “Is… is that safe here?”

“I am here with you, Sam. I won’t let anything happen to you.” Cas promised. “Still, I wouldn’t go deep. Try to touch the Force and if it doesn’t come to you, then we go on.”

Sam gave the man and nod and closed his eyes. With the practice he’d been doing, he found it easier to find the Force each time and he did so now, reaching out for it to brush it with his fingertips. He concentrated on their situation and what he needed, though he wasn’t exactly sure what that was. He didn’t have a vision, but he was beginning to get a vague sense of danger. His eyes snapped open and flicked around the plaza where they were standing. Whatever the danger was, it wasn’t here now.

“Anything?” Cas asked, one eyebrow raised as he watched Sam.

“Ah… danger, I think. I don’t know where though.” Sam gave a sheepish shrug.

“That’s good Sam.” Cas insisted as he paced closer to where Sam was standing. “We know now to be careful. Perhaps it would be a good idea to let Dean know as well.”

“In case we need to make quick exit?”

“Exactly.” Cas agreed.

Sam took out his comlinks and tried to get his brother, but got no answer. Dean must be working outside the ship so Sam would have to try again later on. Sam looked up in time to see Kevin emerge from an alley.

The young man waved at the two of them as he made his way to them. “Sorry I was running late. We good to go?”

“Of course, Kevin.” Sam offered his hand to the young man and he shook it.

Kevin tilted his head back towards the taxi stand. “We’re heading out to the Promenade.”

“Promenade?” Sam asked as they climbed in the taxi together.

“Yeah, it’s like the one area of Nar Shadaa that is supposed to be legit.” Kevin grinned. “It’s not, of course but the Hutt’s have spent plenty of money to make it nice and shiny.”

“We’re meeting our employer there?” Sam asked, because this was a bit of a relief. He was expecting some nasty back alley in one of the gang controlled sectors of the planet. Of course, they were willingly walking into a section controlled by the Hutts. That hadn’t worked out so well for them last time. “We aren’t meeting a Hutt, right?”

“Of course not.” Kevin snorted. “You said you wanted something that wouldn’t get you killed. That pretty much rules out the Hutts. Or any of the gangs.”

Sam breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m glad we were on the same page.”

“Of course. I’ve thrown my lot in with yours. I’d like to emerge alive myself.” Kevin was surprisingly honest for a guy that worked in a dive for a living. Sam found that he liked him.

“Who are we meeting?” Again, Cas’s voice was surprising because he’d nearly forgotten the Jedi was there. The man’s blue eyes swept over both of them shrewdly.

“Glad to see you lived through your bender.” Kevin said, wincing back from Cas’s stare as he scooted a little closer to Sam.

It made sense, Sam was a big guy.

“Thank you.” Cas said, taking his eyes off of Kevin so he could turn them back on the endless stream of traffic whizzing by them. “Who is this person we are working for?”

“He goes by the name of Crowley.” Kevin’s eyes darted between the two men, looking for signs of recognition before he went on. “He’s pretty damn shady and his bottom line is always personal benefit. As long as you know that and know not to trust him, you’ll be fine. He’ll only double cross you if there’s a profit for him in it.”

None of this made Sam feel good about the situation at all. “Is it too late to tell you that we have a bounty on our heads?”

“I already knew that. The good news here is that the bounty was placed by Azazel. Crowley loathes the man. They are rivals. He’s not going to turn you in. He’ll likely help you just to stick it to Azazel.” Kevin promised as the taxi swung onto the landing pad for the Promenade.

As they walked into the large covered plaza, the first thing that Sam noticed was a huge, golden statue of a Hutt in the center of the Promenade. “Good grief.” He muttered as they headed into the bustle of people all looking at the wares offered by the various shops.

“Tell me about it. They think they can shine shit.” Kevin’s voice came from his elbow which startled Sam, he hadn’t expected the shorter man to be so close. He grinned up at Sam while they walked along and when they reached a turning, Kevin grabbed Sam’s upper arm and tugged him in the direction they needed to go. Sam tossed a look over his shoulder to make sure Cas was with them.

The Jedi followed behind them just a little ways back, his eyes darting over the crowd and to the shops as if this were second nature. Perhaps it was; Jedi were often thrust in dangerous situations. Sam wondered if he would be like that too someday. Of course, he wasn’t far from that now. The life of a smuggler wasn’t exactly safe. Kevin stopped them in front of a sleek looking store front. From the looks of the place, it was an expensive tailor’s shop. Sam frowned, but followed Kevin inside.

A togruta in a well cut suit met them at the door. He sniffed as he took in their presence as if he thought they belonged in an alley. Sam thanked his stars that Dean wasn’t there.

Kevin looked up at the man, unimpressed by the snootiness. “Crowley told me he needed help with supply.”

The togruta looked at Sam and Cas again, this time with more appraisal before finally nodding. “This way.”

He led them through the shop and a room that was clearly a sewing work shop that had another togruta and a couple of twi’leks working at sewing machines. Past the work shop, they came to a nondescript door. The togruta touched the button on the wall com next to the door. “There are some gentlemen to see you about supplies.”

“Excellent” The voice was cultured with a clipped accent. “Send them in.”

The door was opened and they were bowed in.

The man behind the desk was dark haired with shrewd eyes and was wearing a very impressive black suit with a red tie. It was, of course, nicely tailored. He offered his hand. “Crowley.”

Sam took it in a firm shake. “Sam Winchester. This is Cas.” He indicated the man next to him.

On cue, Cas stepped forward to shake the man’s hand. There was an awkward moment where the two gave each other appraising looks. The hair on the back of Sam’s neck rose, though he couldn’t say why. Clearly the Force wanted him to know something.

“Gentlemen, have a seat.” Crowley gestured to the chairs in front of him.

As Cas and Sam went to sit, Kevin excused himself. “I’ll go wait out front for you guys to be done.”

Crowley looked at them over steepled fingers. “So, you can help me move some choice items without attention or planetary duties?”

Sam nodded. “We specialize in this.”

“I know.” Crowley said with a raised eyebrow. “I checked your career when Kevin suggested bringing you. You and your brother are reckless, but you have an excellent record of getting the job done. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that you have a bounty from Azazel laid on you either.”

Sam could tell that Crowley was holding some things back from him. Thinking of what Kevin said, it was time to be serious. “So, we work for you and maybe you flush Azazel out?”

Crowley smirked but nodded.

“You realize that could take some time. Right now he’s sending bounty hunters.” Sam pointed out. He was aware that to his right, Cas was very tense. Sam wondered what was up, but didn’t dare take his eyes off Crowley.

“I’ve got nothing but time, Samuel. One doesn’t get ahead through haste.”

“How do I know you won’t sell us to Azazel?” Sam knew this was risky, but was it as risky as working for the Hutts. Should he take the evil he knew or the one he had just met?

“You don’t. But surely you can see that if I want to find Azazel, I need you alive.” Crowley pointed out.

Sam glanced at Cas, who inclined his head slightly. It seemed the Jedi thought they could manage the danger. “Very well.”

“Good, so glad to hear that.” Crowley purred. “I’ll have the goods delivered to your docking bay within the hour. I suggest you boys get a move on, there’s a bounty hunter with some prosthetic hands and a bad attitude that is looking all over for your little friend here.”

“Gordon.” It was the first words that Cas had spoken since they’d walked in. He exchanged a look with Sam and then stood. They were both thinking that they’d left Dean alone with the ship. Sam knew Dean could handle himself, but after the last meeting with Gordon, he couldn’t help feeling unsettled about it.

“See, I’ve already helped you out.” Crowley’s voice was dry and sardonic. Sam guessed that it was always that way. “Now, instructions on where to go will be with the cargo. I’ll be in touch.” He inclined his head towards the door. They were clearly dismissed.

*****

Kevin was waiting for them outside of the tailor’s shop. The boy (because this is how Castiel saw him), was browsing a nearby stall but fell in step between himself and Sam as soon as they left.

“How did it go?” Kevin asked as he cheerfully munched on a yellow apple that had clearly been bought from one of the stalls they passed as they walked to the taxi stand.

“We took the job.” Sam told him. “We are probably leaving before the day is out so if you want to get your things, you should.”

Kevin and Sam exchanged information and planned out when they would meet again before they parted ways and took different taxis.

On the way back, Sam glanced to him as they sat side by side in the back seat of the taxi. “You seem to be thinking of something.”

“I am concerned about Dean.” Cas had tried raising Dean on the com with no luck while Sam and Kevin had talked.

“Dean can take care of himself.” Sam said, though he looked uncomfortable. Cas suspected that he was worried about Dean too. “We’re on our way back now, anyways.” If anything, Sam’s frown deepened.

“What is it, Sam?” Cas reached over and touched the younger man’s shoulder. He could feel the Force shifting inside of Sam, rising up for some purpose that he couldn’t fathom.

“I… I don’t know. It’s just… a bad feeling.” Sam tapped his forehead and closed his eyes tightly. After a long moment, he gasped and turned wide eyes on Castiel. “I made it work! Cas, the Force showed me!” His hands gripped a shoulder and shook it.

“What did you see, Sam?” Cas felt something akin to anxiety rising as he had to wait for the other man to tell. He’d always heard that seers were frustrating. Now he knew it was true.

“Gordon is waiting for us at the space port. I don’t think that he has attacked Dean yet, he wants us there.” Sam seemed sure and Cas had no reason to disbelieve him.

“So we can expect a fight when we get there?” He was already thinking of strategies to face this battle but he needed more. He closed his eyes and reached for the Force. “Sam, I need more information.”

“O-okay, I’ll try.” Sam’s voice sounded uncertain however, within the next moment he felt the Force surge around Sam, far more controlled then it had been before. Cas would have marveled at how controlled the young man had become in such a short time. The surge settled into a comfortable hum around Sam. He considered giving guidance but before he could open his lips Sam was speaking. “Gordon is waiting outside of our hanger. I see him in the cantina at the hub of the docking arms. The space port is particularly busy. There are a lot of people about. I… don’t think he’s alone, Cas.”

“Forewarned is forearmed, Sam. You’ve done very well.” With the help of the Force, Castiel was already constructing a plan. There were still too many variables to truly plan for, however, he had enough to make a loose plan for himself and Dean. The rest he would have to improvise as they went along but this was his strength and he intended on exploiting it today. “Here’s what I think we should do.”

*****

Dean was whistling to himself as he finished rewiring the electrical system with the new parts that Sam had procured with Kevin’s help overnight. He closed the panel and locked it down with a sense of pride. Baby wasn’t in perfect condition yet, but her systems were fully functioning again and that went a long way from the jury rigging that he and Sam had done to get them through. He stretched, both of his hands braced on his low back to work the kinks out of his spine. He didn’t want to admit that he was getting old, but he wasn’t as young as he used to be either. Too much fast living perhaps. _Wait… was there such a thing?_ Maybe so.

He climbed up the service ladder that let him out of the bowels of the ship and into the main deck. There, next to the hatch was his com. He patted his pockets and swore because he’d been sure he had it with him when he went down. Apparently not. The indicator light was blinking to inform him that someone had tried to reach him. He swore again and snapped the thing up, then opened the channel. “Sammy?”

_“Dean, thank God!”_

Dean frowned. “Is everything okay.”

“ _For now. There’s a situation.”_

Dean swore yet again. “What situation.”

This time Cas’s voice came over the line. _“We’ve some unfinished business.”_

 “Fuck!” Dean got the drift immediately. Because of the beating he took, he had trouble remembering what Gordon Walker had looked like but he remembered the fucker’s voice and what he’d done to him on Tatooine. He would be damned if that bastard would get the drop on him again.

 _“Hold steady, okay?”_ Sam again.

Dean opened his mouth to tell them that he would hold steady when he was dead when he was drawn up short. Sam never really told him to stay put. Perhaps they expected that the line was compromised? That was likely. So… he should be ready. Dean pushed himself from the hatch before latching it shut then headed for the weapons locker in his quarters.

“Jesus, Mary, and holy fuck lady, where the hell did you come from?”

Sitting on his bed was the redhead Cas had introduced him to last night. She was grinning at him and bopping her head to whatever tune was playing on the bright yellow headphones covering her ears. She tugged one of them to the side, letting out obnoxiously cheerful music. “Hi Dean!”

There was something about her smile that made it really hard to glower at her, but he was trying really hard. “You shouldn’t have come here unannounced. I could have killed you.”

“Nah, all your weapons are there.” She pointed to the weapons locker across the room. “I counted them.”

Dean almost did a double take because that insinuated that she knew how many he had and what kind they all were. Yup, Cas’s friend was just a little bit scary. “What… why…?”

She chuckled as she tugged her headphones the rest of the way off and hung them around her neck. “I promised you some more info. I’ve got it. Of course, I’ve got trouble too.”

“Trouble?” Dean had a sinking feeling.

Charlies smile never wavered. “We’ll get to that. Right now, I thought I might be able to help you with a little problem that you have. We help each other out, yada, yada, yada. You get the picture.” She slipped passed him and started heading to the bridge.

Dean followed, stuck somewhere between anger and supreme confusion. He didn’t know this girl but Cas swore by her and he trusted Cas… mostly. “You mean Gordon.” He surmised as they walked into the cockpit.

“I mean Gordon.” She confirmed, then sat in the co-pilot’s chair and began to tap on the screen. When it came to life, she plugged a jack into a port beneath the dash and before her, the virtual screens she’d been using the night before sprang to life. She reached out and tapped the image, pushing and pulling them until she had what she wanted. Before her was a picture of a bounty hunter lounging in the cantina. “There’s your problem now.” She tapped the air a few more times and another window popped open. Cas was loitering against a wall just a few feet from the cantina. It was clear he was positioned just outside of Gordon’s sightline. Sam wasn’t with him.

“If I guess correctly, I’d say your brother is finding an inconspicuous way to get back here. That is, if they’ve surmised that Gordon actually wants Castiel.” Charlie nodded to the virtual screen before tapping and shifting the glowing screens. Images whirred past his eyes faster than Dean could process but Charlie, it seemed, could. She stopped on another one. Sam was clearly in one of the maintenance shafts and was slowly navigating a metal catwalk. The view shifted until Dean could see he was very close to their hanger and would come down next to Baby. “There he is. I’m guess they are using Cas as a decoy to draw Gordon this way. Of course, that will only work if Gordon gives chase instead of attacking directly.” Charlie shrugged and gave Dean a chagrined smile. “That’s as much as I can guess. I don’t do combat. Castiel, though, he trained under some pretty impressive Jedi generals, he knows what he’s doing.”

“He’s risking his life is what he’s doing.” Dean muttered, though he couldn’t put his finger on why this disgruntled him so much.

“He’s a Jedi, that’s what they do.” Charlie pointed out, raising an eyebrow as her eyes searched his face. She punched his arm. “Come on, Dean! It’s cool to have a Jedi on your side.”

“Yeah, it’s great.” Dean supposed it was, however, there was a lot of trouble associated with it too. So far, Cas had been worth the trouble.

A clatter sounded just above their heads and Dean winced.

“There’s your brother!” Charlie said brightly.

Sure enough, Sam came rushing into the cockpit a moment later, panting. “Dean!” He was brought up short by Charlie’s presence and turned to his brother in confusion. “Who’s this?”  
 “Cas’s friend, Charlie.” Dean started, then when he saw Sam had more questions, he headed him off. “Don’t ask, it’s a long story and we’ve got bigger worries.”

This seemed to put Sam back on track. “I’ll say. Gordon is…” He broke off when he saw the surveillance video of Gordon in front of them. “Oh, you know.”

“Yeah.” Dean snorted, then on a whim ruffled Charlie’s hair.

She grinned up at him, unoffended. “Did we just become best friends?”

Dean’s brow wrinkled, then he shook it off and turned back to Sam. “Do you have some sort of plan?”

“Yeah, Cas and I talked about it.” Sam said in a rush. “Cas asked me to sneak back here and fill you in. Gordon is out there and watching for us. We assume he wants Cas since he’s the one who took off his hands and, logically, he’ll see Cas as the biggest threat since he’s a trained Jedi. Cas thinks that Gordon will try to take him down and then come after us to clean up and collect the bounty.”

Charlie cut in. “They still want you two alive, so that’s in our favor.”

“Our?” Sam asked, but when Charlie grinned at him, he simply went on. “What we don’t know is whether or not he has friends with him.”

“Or whether he will follow Cas or try to fight him there.” Dean pointed out.

Sam just nodded. “Cas said he was ready for whichever eventuality. He was hopeful that Gordon would follow him here and we could trap him in the hangar.”

“I could do that easily.” Charlie put in as she scrolled through her screens again.

“He didn’t say what he would do if Gordon didn’t follow, but he said he’d be fine.” Sam was watching over Charlie’s shoulder when something caught his eye and he tried to reach for the screen. His fingers went through it.

Charlie snorted and then began to run the images back. She stopped suddenly. “Good eye, Sam.” The surveillance image they were looking at showed a small platoon of Clone troopers marching into the space port.

“You don’t think…?” Dean said, now leaning over Charlie’s other shoulder.

“That’s the backup.” Charlie surmised.

“We need to warn Cas!” Sam reached for his com.

Charlie stopped him. “Leave it to me. We don’t want that call heard.”

Sam nodded and turned to Dean. “Fire up the engines and bring the weapons online.”

“Now we’re talking.” Dean grinned as he dropped into his chair and brought Baby to life. She purred now that her internal systems were all working. He skipped the preliminary scans and brought the weapons up as Sam had asked, then after a moment, warmed the shields as well. He knew he couldn’t engage them with the landing gear down; however, he wanted them ready for take-off.

Sam’s voice crackled over the internal ship coms. “I’m ready in the top turret.”

“Good.” Dean said, then turned to Charlie. “Think I should hit the lower turret?”

“No, let Kev do that.” She said without looking up from what she was doing. From his seat he could see that Gordon was gone and so was Cas.

“Kevin?” Dean blinked and was about to ask for an explanation when the young man materialized in the door to the cockpit.

“Here and ready!” Kevin proclaimed as he dropped a bag next to the door.

“Can you fire a laser cannon?” Dean was skeptical about this; after all, the dude was a bartender and barely looked older than 18.

“Charlie says it’s not much different from in the video games.” Kevin said with a shrug.

Dean winced but when he was going to send the kid to find a seat, Charlie interrupted him. “I’ll help him with the targeting computer. All he will have to do is fire.”

Dean gave her a stern look, but she smiled serenely at him. “I’ve got your back. You’ll see. Besides, it’s time to get ready.”

Sure enough, Dean could see clone troopers in formation, weapons out and approaching their docking bay. It was go time.

*****

Charlie’s warning had come just in time for Castiel to get out of the way of the clone troopers. He could only assume that they had been told his name, given his description, and were looking for him directly. He touched the force just enough to shrink from notice as he dropped back into a narrow passage meant for the maintenance droids. The troopers marched passed him in the direction of the hangar. So this was Gordon’s game. He’d hoped to separate Cas from the Winchesters one way or another. He suspected the man had hoped that he’d be swept up by the patrol which would leave the bounty hunter clear to go after Sam and Dean. Of course, even with the situation reversed, Gordon got what he wanted. The group was separated. Charlie said that they were all set and ready. Cas hoped she was telling the truth. That left him to deal with Gordon.

He glanced from his hiding hole towards the cantina. Sure enough, Gordon was standing in the doorway, his gaze sweeping up and down the hall, looking for the Jedi. Cas decided to use what little surprise he had to his advantage. He pulled on the Force, surrounding himself and sending out tendrils to Sam, Dean, Charlie, and Kevin. Each had their role and now they would need to play them. With that thought, he gathered his strength and leapt from his position and came down in front of Gordon. He shifted all the Force at his command into his fist which connected with the ground and sent out a shockwave in a circle around him. The people on the concourse gasped and were shaken where they stood, but Gordon who was at the epicenter of the strike, was knocked from his feet with a strangled noise of surprise.

Unfortunately, the man wasn’t down for long and blasted from the floor with the aid of the jetpack he wore with a roar of anger. Instead of drawing his blaster, the man came at him in a fury, intent on striking Cas with his cybernetic fists. Physically, Gordon was simply too slow to land such a blow and Cas wondered why he tried until the electronic hand folded back to reveal some sort of small caliber firing weapon imbedded in the arm. Fast as he was, Cas couldn’t avoid the shot despite that he saw it in the instant before it was fired. It hit him directly in his left upper arm, which was better than his chest where it had been aimed, but at close range, the force of the blaster bolt fractured the bone. Pain bloomed white hot for an instant before Cas channeled the Force into it. It wasn’t enough to heal the break; he didn’t have time for that. It was a stop gap measure; it would hold the bone in place so he could use the arm and stop him from feeling the pain for a time.

Clearly, Gordon hadn’t been counting on that. He stumbled backwards when Cas draw his lightsaber from behind his back and ignited the glowing blue blade. Around him the space port broke out in screams as people fled from the Jedi. How different the universe had become. Still, innocents were out of the way, and that was a good thing. He advanced on Gordon, who had found a place of cover behind the bar and popped up to fire three shots over at him. Cas deflected all three.

“I ain’t letting you go, _Jedi._ ” The final word was sneered at Castiel.

It didn’t particularly bother him, though he suspected the hunter was trying to get a rise out of him. “I’m not sure you will have a choice in this matter.”

“Oh, you can leave now, but I’ll always be two steps behind you.” The cocky bastard sounded amused with himself.

For a moment, Castiel seriously considered the notion of coming around the bar and killing the bounty hunter. It went against everything he’d been trained to believe, but if the man would always be following him, then perhaps it was wise.

The com crackled to life in the interior pocket of his coat. He could barely make out Charlie’s voice. _“I know it’s tempting and all, but we’ve got a platoon of troopers here and would very much like to leave.”_

So be it. Cas cocked his arm back and threw the saber, which flew out in a spinning arch to shatter all the bottles in the shelves above Gordon’s head so he would be doused in raining glass and alcohol. If he’d had anything flammable, he would have tossed it back there with him. Alas, he had no such luck. Instead, Cas turned on his heel and took off at a run towards the docking bay. Hopefully he could catch them with their focus elsewhere like he had last time.

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A word about blaster technology: it works on concussive force which is why it broke Cas's bone. Just wanted to put that out there. 
> 
> And now that I've revealed the true level of my nerdiness, I bid you a good day!


	11. Perspective

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Dean runs, he can hear Sam struggling to get out of the turret. He pauses at the weapons locker to grab his sawed off, then he runs to the ramp while he slings it over his shoulder. “Thanks, Charlie!”
> 
> “Make good choices!” Charlie’s voice calls out from the bridge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you are still reading, I apologize for the lateness of this chapter. The end of the semester took all my time and attention. 
> 
> I think things between Dean and Cas are starting to (maybe) heat up a little bit. (Who knows? They never do what I want them to.)
> 
> Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoy.

“Charlie! Have you gotten in touch with Cas yet?” Dean shoots a glance as he switches more power into the shields. There are about a metric fuckton of clone troopers out there and they definitely mean business.

The com crackles to life with Sam’s voice. “ _Dean, how many of them are there? They just keep coming.”_

“As soon as Cas gets here, we are leaving.” Dean promises.

 _“Thank god”_ Kevin breathes and the turret beneath the ship turns and blaster fire mows down the front line of the troopers. More take their place.

“He’s on his way!” Charlie’s voice is triumphant as her fingers fly over the blue screen in front of her. “I’m getting ready to override the docking bay controls. When Castiel gets here, we will drop the ramp and fly out of here as soon as he is in.”

Dean nods, having already warmed the engines. Beside him, Charlie pauses in what she’s doing to plot a course into the nav computer. The sound of shouting from outside pulls Dean’s attention.

 _“There he is!”_ Sam’s voice is excited over the com. A second volley of blaster bolts lays into the troopers before them, and as they are cut down, the swing of a blue lightsaber can be seen. The troopers are swarming the Jedi.

“Sammy?” Dean can’t see as well from where he is, however, it doesn’t look good for the Jedi now.

 _“Dammit! The guns are too big!”_ Sam’s frustration is easily heard.

 _“We might hit him if we fire.”_ Kevin sounds equally frustrated.

Dean snaps his belt off and goes running for the ramp. “Sammy, take the helm!”

_“Dean? Dean! Wait!”_

As Dean runs, he can hear Sam struggling to get out of the turret. He pauses at the weapons locker to grab his sawed off, then he runs to the ramp while he slings it over his shoulder. “Thanks, Charlie!”

“Make good choices!” Charlie’s voice calls out from the bridge.

Dean grins as he scrambles down the ramp with his favorite blaster pistol in his hands. The troopers are mostly facing Cas, who he can only see by the light of the saber, so Dean doesn’t wait for them to notice him. He begins to pick them off one by one as he advances from the ramp, green bolts singeing armor and crushing bone as he makes his way towards the Jedi. Time slows as he approaches the cluster of troopers, the moments strung out as he blasts one in the face, another two in rapid succession, and then a fourth he kicks in the back of the knee only to shoot the man on his way down. He can finally see Cas through the mass of white armor and rushing bodies. One to his left swings at him and the punch would have connected if Dean hadn’t seen it at the last minute; he got his blaster up just in time to stop it. The trooper’s fist strikes the blaster which he loses his grip on. He doesn’t bother trying to catch it, instead bringing his fist around in a mean right hook that knocks the trooper’s helmet off. The man reels away from him and while he does so, Dean draws the blaster rifle and fires into his chest. He turns and keeps firing, taking out the troopers until he sees Cas.

The Jedi is breathing heavily and he’s favoring his left arm, blood leaks from his forehead and the tan duster coat is tattered and burned. A dark stain is spreading across the fabric which Dean doesn’t like.

“Cas!” He shoots another trooper just over the Jedi’s right shoulder. Cas whirls and his saber takes care of two more that had been behind him. “Come on!” He reaches out and grabs the man by the ugly coat and drags him towards the ship. Castiel staggers against the force, then brings himself to rights again and begins to follow after Dean.

“Duck!” Cas barks and Dean does it instantly. The saber whirls out over his head and arcs out to strike three more troopers on its way back to the Jedi’s hand.

Dean marvels at how well they fall into sync with each other, but in this moment, it seems he knows exactly where Cas will be and Cas seems to know where Dean will be. It’s seamless the way that they make their way together towards the ship, shoulder to shoulder. Dean can hear the engines roar to life as they draw close and the moment the two of them step onto the ramp, the ship begins to move.

He and Cas scramble away from the ramp and into the hallway as the ramp draws up into the ship. He can hear a hiss as the seals engage. He turns to slap Cas on the back because _god damn_ that was amazing, when he notices the color draining from the Jedi’s face.

“Cas?” He reached out his hand as Castiel’s weight sagged and he dropped to his knees. Dean scrambled to catch him just as he dropped forwards, snatching him up before he hit the ground. “Cas!” As he turned the Jedi in his arms, he could see that the dark stain on the coat had spread. When he touched it, his hand came away bloody. “Sammy!”

“Dean! Get up here!” Sam yelled from the cockpit. The ship shuttered around him. He was paralyzed with indecision. He needed to get them out of here but he couldn’t just leave Cas here.

A soft touch startled him and he looked up into Kevin’s face. “I’ll help him… just go!”

Dean nodded and transferred Cas gently to Kevin’s arms before he scrambled to the bridge. He and Sam made a seamless shift as he hopped into his chair and Sam slipped out. “Go to Cas!” He demanded as he took control of the ship and began to dodge the blaster fire as he guided the ship out of the docking door hangers. At his side, Charlie was working feverishly at the controls.

Sam ran into the hallway behind the bridge and immediately saw Kevin wrestling with Castiel’s weight. The first thing he sees is the blood.

“Oh my god!” He sank to his knees next to the young man. In his hands is a spent medpack.

“It… it didn’t help much.” Kevin’s dark eyes are worried as they fix on Sam.

Sam reaches out and pulls the dark coat open. The blood is hard to see through the dark vest Castiel wears but the hole burned in his side in not. It stinks of burned flesh. Someone out there had a laser canon instead of a blaster, that’s the only thing that could do this much damage. “No.” He whispers; because he knows their healing capability isn’t good on the ship. He grips Castiel and pulls him from Kevin. “In my quarters there’s a red bag. Get it!” He doesn’t wait for Kevin to scurry away, he rips the vest off to see what he’s dealing with. The wound is huge. Castiel is burned from just under his arm down to his hip on that side. The wound is openly bleeding which shouldn’t be an issue with a laser burn; he must have taken a hit with either a blaster or a vibroblade too. While Sam is examining the hole in Cas’s chest, the red bag drops down next to him.

Kevin pulls the zipper and instantly draws out another medpack, which he sets to use right away. There is some improvement in the size of the wound, but it is still too large. Castiel is pale and his breathing shallow; the rise and fall of his chest uneven. Sam suspects that his lung has collapsed. He digs through the bag to find something… anything that will help but comes up with a bottle of whiskey, a very old Corellian army knife, two or three tubes of healing ointment and bandages. There’s nothing that will seal and re-inflate a collapsed lung. Castiel is going to suffocate. He runs two hands through his hair and then pulls it tight. _What do I do?_ He sucks in a ragged breath then lets it out, his mind scrambling in panic. _What do I do?  
_ “Cas, please don’t die.” His voice is barely a whisper. He doesn’t see how he can stop it. He’d barely known the man, but he’d come to like him, to trust him but more, he knows Dean will be crushed. He doesn’t know why or how, but the two have become close. _What do I do?_ The seconds tick by.

 _Find your center, Sam._ He knows it’s a memory, but it’s Castiel’s voice, calm and collected. It floats up from the recesses of his mind just when he needs it.

“Okay…okay Cas.” He says, closing his eyes and settling into the center of his being. He misses the odd look that Kevin gives him. The young man next to him has a cloth pressed to the bleeding wound and is shouting something at him, but Sam blocks it out. He goes to his center.

The Force comes.

It threads through his fingers, surrounds him with golden light. He’s warm and calm as the light suffuses his body, sliding in through his pores and glowing out of his eyes. It whispers to him.

Slowly, with no qualms, he places his palm on Castiel’s chest just above the burn. He can _feel_ the man’s Force beneath his fingers. It is blue and cool against his fingers, ebbing more and more with every second. He catches it and with a press of his palm, traps it inside of Castiel’s body. For the injured Jedi, time stops. Sam breathes out in wonder. Castiel rests in the moment between breaths; his skin still warm, the life that was leaking from him throbbed beneath his hand. He knows that Castiel is struggling too, he can feel the man clinging to life with every fiber of his being. Sam understands. Cas doesn’t want to die here.

Sam doesn’t want that either. The Force is still whispering to him, there are no discernable words, merely tugging at his awareness. It had come to him and now it waits for him, so he follows his instinct and wields it. It surges from his fingertips into Castiel’s body. Immediately the man spasms beneath his palm, his back arching up off the floor as a long, deep breath is drawn into the injured Jedi’s mouth. Kevin scrambles back with a strangled noise, the bloody cloth dropping to the floor. The burned skin begins to unfurl and grow, returning to a healthy pink color. Beneath the flesh, Castiel’s lung mends and fills with air; his breathing becomes deeper and the gray tinge leaves his skin.

“Wow.” Somewhere behind him, Charlie’s amazement sounds in one reverent syllable. Sam doesn’t really pay much attention to it, his will has focused and he wants Castiel to be whole. The broken bone in his left arm, the shattered right ankle, the myriad of deep contusions all mend and fade. Much of it, the others won’t see but Sam sees and he fixes it. He fixes until he simply can’t anymore. The Force slips from him slowly as he grows tired, and then suddenly it is gone completely. Without it, he slumps as exhaustion sets in.

Dean is next to him with a strong arm around his back. Charlie and Kevin are standing a short distance away, both wearing mirroring expression somewhere between curiosity and awe.

“Sammy… you….?”

Sam looks up at Dean, feeling dizzy but elated. “He was dying Dean.”

“What did you …?” Dean looks from him to Cas and then back to him again.

“I don’t know… I just… followed my instincts and let the Force guide me.” Sam leans more heavily on his brother, his eyes heavy.

Dean is silent. Sam knows that his brother has trouble accepting the Jedi stuff, as he calls it, but after a moment, Dean lets out a long breath. “Well, I’m glad you did.” Sam notices that Dean’s fingers slide over Castiel’s cheek before he wrestles his brother up. “Come on, you Wookie. Time to get you to bed.”

“’m not a Wookie.” Sam slurs as he lets Dean drag him up. Bed sounds like a great idea.

*****

Dean drags Sam into his room, then returns to the hallway just outside of the cockpit, where Kevin and Charlie remain. Charlie is kneeling next to Cas’s side and cleaning the dried blood off of his skin. Kevin is tucking items back into Sammy’s red medic bag. Both are silent. He can’t blame them; he can’t really quantify what he’s just seen either. He’s thankful of course, he truly is, but still… Sammy was glowing. He’d come out of the cockpit to see golden light surrounding his brother and traveling down his arm where it had visibly poured into Castiel’s body to make the wounds closed. That was one hell of thing to see. He squats near Cas and slips an arm beneath the unconscious man’s head.

“Will you two help me get him to a bed?” He looks between Charlie and Kevin, neither of which looks particularly strong.

“You don’t have a droid to help?” Charlie asks, even as she tossed the cloth to Kevin, who in turn tosses it into the sink in the common area.

“A droid?” Dean looks at her as if she sprouted another head. “Droids are damned expensive Charlie. I don’t know if you noticed, but we tend to run short of credits around here.”

“Right.” She murmured before positioning herself at Cas’s feet. “You get his head, Kev.”

Kevin rolled his eyes, and then made Dean shift down so he could take care of Cas’s head and shoulders, leaving Dean with all the parts between. He couldn’t help but noticed that they’d left him to carry the heaviest part. Oh well, it could be worse. Cas could be dead.

“On three.” Together they struggled to life the Jedi, then made slow progress to Dean’s quarters with a great deal of swearing and complaining. Once they had Cas on Dean’s bed, he sighed and sat down next to him. “Okay, Cas has the cabin next to the door. Charlie, if you bring his stuff in here, you can have that room to yourself.”

“You got it!” Charlie salutes cheerfully and scurries from the room.

“Kev….” Dean takes a hard look at the bartender, who looks younger and paler than before, but of course, his hands are still bloody. Dean’s torn, he’s not sure he trusts the young man, and because of that, he’s not sure where to put him: either with Sam or with him. Of course, Sam will probably wake in a little while and seems to like Kevin well enough. Dean, on the other hand, is still worried about Cas and wants to stay with him to make sure he’s okay. Also, Charlie has vouched for Kevin.  That decides him. “You can bunk with Sam. Sorry, we don’t have enough rooms for a lot of people.” They’d never intended to have more than himself and Sam on Baby, now there are two more people. _How does this shit happen?_

For his part, Kevin doesn’t protest. “Sure Dean, thanks.” He turns to go, then stops. “Can I… can I use the refresher?” He pushes out his bloody hands.

Dean nods. “Go for it, man. Thanks for your help.”

Within seconds, Dean is alone with Cas. For a moment, Dean runs his fingers through his hair and then settles his head in his hands. He can’t describe how he’s feeling. He and Cas haven’t known each other that long; he shouldn’t care this much. He simply does; his heart aches at the thought that the Jedi nearly slipped through his fingers and he doesn’t know _why_. Feelings are not Dean Winchester’s thing. He doesn’t do them, or so he tells himself. He’s dangerously close to doing them now. He shoves the thought away and pushes himself up. He begins to tug off the remains of Castiel’s clothes. It turns out that to get all the blood off the man, he has to take all the clothes off of him. He would admire the sight if there weren’t so much blood still clinging to Castiel’s skin. He fetches the cloth Charlie was using earlier from the common area, wets it with warm water, and then returns to Cas’s side. He loses himself in the task of making sure the Jedi is meticulously clean. When he’s done, he dresses Cas in a pair of his boxer briefs as a concession to the man’s modesty, then tucks him into the bed. Castiel remains inert the entire time. He sits on the side of the bed next to the man and runs his fingers through the dark, unruly hair. With no clue how long Cas is going to sleep, Dean decides to leave him to it for now. He bends to kiss Castiel on the forehead, then leaves with color rising in his cheeks. He shouldn’t perv on an unconscious, injured man. He really shouldn’t.

When Dean returns to the common area, he finds both Kevin and Charlie looking clean and comfortable. What’s more, Kevin is puttering around in the kitchen making something that smells deliciously of Alderaanian cooking. Dean’s stomach growls.

“It’s almost done.” Kevin says with a grin. “I couldn’t believe how much good stuff you keep on hand here.” He begins to lay out plates for the three of them, then pile them up with steaming noodles, covering them in a savory sauce that is mixed with a lot of the veggies that Sam always insists on buying when they are on a planet. It’s too bad Sam is missing this.

“I’m gonna check on Sammy, see if he’s up to dinner.” Dean hurries back to Sam’s room to find that his brother is still dead to the world and drooling. He leaves shaking his head. His bed plan is only going to work if Sam wakes up to agree with it, otherwise, they are going to have to drag Cas in there with Sammy and that’s not going to be pretty.  “He’s out still.”

“I’ve read that even the Jedi get tired.” Charlie offers as she sticks a fork in her noodles and begins to twirl them around the tines.

“Yeah, and he’s new at it.” Dean adds, glancing back towards the chambers before diving into his food. He glances between Charlie and Kevin. “Where are we going?” He hadn’t asked before when Charlie plotted their coordinates, he was too busy trying to keep them all alive.

“Ord Mantell.” Kevin said, glancing quickly to Dean. Ord Mantel has been lost in separatist battles and its own fair share of strife until the Republic had taken over there. It was now strongly in the grip of the Republic and therefore, extremely dangerous for Sam and Cas. On the other hand, parts of him considered the planet home. The lawlessness of the place prior to Republic control had made it an excellent place for a bounty hunter to hole up; they’d done it a lot when their Dad had been alive.

Dean’s shoulders sagged. No matter how he looked at it, this had all the promise of being even harder than Nar Shadaa had been. They troopers had been turned onto them by Gordon but there hadn’t been a ton on the planet because of Hutt control. Ord Mantell, however, would be crawling with them. _Just peachy._ However, he did have an ace up his sleeve.

“This is where Crowley wanted us to deliver his goods?” He asked in between stuffing his face with food.

“Yes.” Kevin answered, ducking his head and glancing uncertainly at Dean. “I didn’t know…”

“Its fine, Kev. We had to take it.” Dean shrugged. “At least we hadn’t repaired the hull yet.” He was sure there was more damage after their hasty retreat from Nar Shadaa.

“You’ve got me now!” Charlie said, beaming a smile at Dean. He had no idea why she was so cheerful, nor why she had come along. She’d looked pretty well entrenched on Nar Shadaa. “I can make it very hard for the Republic to find us, even under their noses.”

“Good.” Dean stuck his fork down for more, but found his plate empty. Kevin grabbed it and went to give him seconds. “Look, Charlie, I’m grateful, I really am but seriously, why are you here? Have you seen the way we live?”

Charlie laughs. “Yup! And I’ve watched Castiel do his thing for years but you know, he’s good people. If he’s with you, then I know you must be good people too.” She shrugs. “Look, you asked me to find you a few things. I went as far with it as I could on Nar Shadaa, now I’ve got to go farther afield to keep after it. Don’t worry Dean, I’ll find who is after you guys.”

Dean had forgotten all about that. Now he had to worry about it too. _Great._ The day was getting better and better. At least the trip to Ord Mantell wasn’t terribly long. He imagined they’d get there at dinner time tomorrow, which would be quite fortunate. He kept it to himself for the time being. He cleared his second plate then pushed back from the table.

“It’s fine Charlie. If you guys don’t mind the cramped quarters, then I’m good with it.” Life support would handle the load, but seriously, Baby wasn’t a bus. They couldn’t handle many more people on the ship. He grabbed up all the dishes before Kevin got to it. “I’ll get these. You guys go settle in.” He nodded them towards the holonet terminal and the Dejarik table.

Dean puttered around the kitchen, washing dishes and making sure there was enough food for at least his Wookie of a brother, then he watched the news with Charlie for a while. Thankfully there was nothing about their escape from Nar Shadaa, which was something. Sam woke an hour later. He was awake long enough to eat the remainder of the left overs, agree to let Kevin share his room, then went directly back to sleep. When the others turned in, Dean went to the bridge to check the control and their course, but found nothing out of the ordinary. Finally, he returned to his room.

Castiel hadn’t moved. Dean hadn’t really expected that he would. So he stripped off his clothing and changed into pajamas before slipped under the covers next to the Jedi. When Dean turned off the lights, he heard the faintest of sighs from Castiel’s lips. He turned in bed to face the other man, but beyond the sound, there was nothing else.

“Goodnight Cas.” He couldn’t stop himself from kissing the man’s cheek, even though he didn’t quite understand why. He just wanted to. He waited another moment, holding his breath to see if Cas would react, when he didn’t, he settled on his pillow. It didn’t take him long at all to fall asleep.

*****

Castiel awoke, once again, with his head throbbing. He cracked one eye open and realized he was in Dean’s room, in Dean’s bed with the man himself curled up against his side. For a disorienting moment, it was as if the previous day hadn’t existed at all. Except he knew that he’d not gone to bed in his underwear that night after the bar. After a moment’s thought, he conceded that he wasn’t even in his own underwear at all. What he was wearing simply didn’t feel right and he decided they must be Dean’s. He turned his head and was a little awed by the sight that greeted him. Dean was laying on his side facing Castiel and was close enough that if the light were a little better, he’d be able to count the freckles that dotted the pilot’s nose. In sleep, there was an innocence on Dean’s sleep that was almost heartbreaking; Cas knew that his friend hadn’t been innocent for a very long time and that likely had never been his choice. As he watched Dean sleep, his fingers itched to touch him and to make those green eyes open to look at him. He didn’t understand the urge, but it was there nonetheless.

He likely should be worrying about why he was mostly naked in bed with Dean when he didn’t remember getting that way or why it was that he didn’t remember anything at all after he’d quarreled with Gordon in the cantina. His whole body ached right along with his head. He was thirsty, hungry, and desperately had to pee. The latter he should take care of first. He sat up slowly, taking care to avoid jostling Dean. He was honestly startled when the room spun. He paused, holding his head with his hands as a soft groan escaped his lips. Why was he dizzy?

Apparently, that soft noise was more than enough to draw Dean to wakefulness. “Hey… take it easy.” Dean’s hands were hot on his bare skin as he tried to keep Castiel from falling out of the bed, which he’d been about to do. “Where are you going?”

Castiel turned his head to look at Dean, then waited patiently for the three different versions of Dean to slowly merge into one. “Good morning, Dean.” His voice sounded both rusty and bemused. _What exactly went on yesterday?_

“’Morning, Cas.” Dean said with a grin, the hand on Castiel’s shoulder slid across his back to tug the Jedi in.

Before Castiel really knew what was happening, he’d been pulled into a tight hug. “Dean…” He was confused. He remembered leaning together when he and Dean had walked home and he remembered the feel of lips when Dean had comforted him. This seemed far more intimate; Castiel was pressed chest to chest with the pilot and he was so dizzy that he had no choice but to wrap both his arms around Dean to keep from falling over. It was strange, but quite frankly, one of the nicest things that Castiel had ever felt. He should ask… or something. In the end, he squirmed in Dean’s arms as his bladder reminded him once again that it needed his attention. He sighed, not wanting to give up the warmth of Dean’s embrace.

Feeling the squirm, Dean let him go. His fingers brushed against Castiel’s forehead, seeming to nudge some of his hair out of the way. “I’m glad you are here, Cas.”

He still didn’t understand what was happening here, but the sentiment warmed his chest. “I’m glad I’m here too.” He scooted towards the edge of the bed, but even the smallest movement made him dizzy. His bladder was still screaming a warning. Cas was going to have to swallow his pride. “I’m… I can’t…. I’m very dizzy and I need… um….”

“Spit it out, Cas.” Dean said, his voice amused.

Cas could feel his cheeks heat. “Bathroom.”

Dean’s answering grin lit up his green eyes and while beautiful, only managed to make Castiel more embarrassed. “I got you.”

Strong arms threaded around him and helped pry him off the bed. The room tilted dangerously once he was on his feet and he had to lean fully into Dean. It was strange to feel his bare skin pressed against Dean’s t-shirt but also… electric. His mind processed that thought slowly and it was lost moments later when Dean started leading him toward the bathroom that was connected to the quarters. It took several more minutes than it should have and by the time they were standing before the toilet, Cas was breathing heavily.

“Why am I so weak?” He huffed as he tugged at the loosely fitting underwear. His hands drew to a stop when he realized that Dean was right there next to him; watching. Color bloomed across his chest and didn’t stop there, no it spread down his neck and chest too. It was, perhaps, the hardest he’d blushed in his life. He turned to look at Dean, trying to ignore the tracers at the side of his vision.

Dean stared back at him before sighing. “Cas, this ain’t the first time I’ve supported someone who needed to take a piss.”

Cas’s tongue darted out so he could lick his lips, which felt altogether too dry. The room was still swaying uncomfortably and he really, really needed to go.

Dean huffed a laugh and then closed his eyes. “There. I’m not looking.”

With relief, Cas turned to the matter at hand and quickly took care of business. Afterwards, he was somewhat bemused that Dean helped him wash his hands. He looked up into the mirror, taking an odd joy in seeing the larger man with his head bent and his hands gently scrubbing over Castiel’s, arms wrapped around him securely from behind. Cas was leaning against the warmth of Dean’s chest and everything felt right in the world, at least if you ignored the vertigo. When he brought his eyes up, he froze. There was a very large, very new scar that spanned over his left side. The skin was smooth and pinked as if the scar itself was old; there are rough, uneven ridges of skin where the scarred flesh meets the smooth skin of his chest, just to the left of his nipple and curving down his abdomen to end just over his hip. Behind him, Dean freezes too.

“What? Where … did this…” Castiel searches his memory but nothing new comes. The last thing he remembers is jumping into the fray inside the docking bay.

“You were hit.” Dean says, his eyes passing over the large scar as his hands pull back and wrap around Cas’s waist. He tugs him into a hug. “You almost died, Cas. I was right there. I saw the blood but you were still up and running. I didn’t… I didn’t know.” Dean’s eyes avoid his in the mirror.

Cas runs his fingers over the back of Dean’s hand and closes his eyes. Straining to think only makes his head hurt and that adds to the sense of vertigo. It makes him nauseous. His eyes pop open again. “Dean… it’s not your fault.” When Dean shakes his head, Cas struggles to turn in his arms but only ends up collapsing towards the sink. Dean’s arms pull tight and bring him up again. This time, their eyes meet in the glass in front of them. “A Jedi can use the Force to ignore pain. Gordon broke my arm, so I was already doing so. I… I probably never noticed the hit. There were a lot more than I thought.”

“Yeah… well, don’t ever do something so stupid again. Sammy and Kevin would have shot them all down with the ship guns.” Dean’s voice is gruff as he pulls Cas from the sink and begins to march him back towards the bed. His arms are tight and stay that way until the reach the bed where Dean helps Cas sit back down.

Castiel fully intends to lay down because he is so weak, however; there are several things that don’t add up to him. He’s about to ask when Dean kneels before him, catching his eyes and holding them. He realizes quite suddenly that he could drown in the green before him. The thought lingers, rolling around and around his mind, making his body feel hot when it shouldn’t. He’s so focused on what he’s feeling that he almost misses Dean speaking. “It felt like we were a team back there when we were side by side. I…” Whatever else Dean was going to say is topped when he shakes his head and suddenly squeezes Castiel tight.

Cas’s head swims. Nothing makes sense. Not only the fact that he’s still alive, but that Dean feels so strongly for him. If he could divorce himself from it, he’s sure he could make more sense of it all, however, he finds himself pulled into it too. The thought of losing Dean makes his blood run cold. _What is this?_ He thinks of how drawn he is to the other man. Is this why Balthazar always chased after men and women when the council wasn’t looking? Was this want? The regret he feels when Dean pulls back is almost palpable. He licks his lips again. “How… how did I survive?”

Dean begins to guide him back onto the bed so he’s lying down again. “It was Sam. I… don’t know how he did it but he used the Force. I didn’t see most of it, just the end when he was all glowing and stuff.”

“Sam… used the Force?” Castiel tries to sit up again, but Dean doesn’t let him. “Is he alright Dean? I need to see him. He shouldn’t be able to do that sort of thing at all.” Somewhere, Cas knows that he’s babbling but he can’t help it. For all intents and purposes Sam is his padawan and he’s concerned for his safety. “To heal something that bad, it would take… it should be impossible for someone so new to the Force!”

Dean snorts as he tugs blankets up around Castiel. “Tell that to Sammy. He’s fine, Cas. He had to sleep right away but woke up to eat dinner then back to bed. You still look far more wiped then he ever did.”

“That’s probably because he healed me. I imagine some of the Force used came from me too.” Cas murmured the last around a yawn. He knew he shouldn’t be tired, but he was.

Dean leaned over him and ran a hand through his messy hair. “Rest here, Cas. I’ll check on Sam and make breakfast. If the Wookie is up, I’ll send him in to see you, okay?”

“That would be good.” Cas replied.

“Don’t you get up from there.” Dean said sternly, wagging his finger at Cas before leaving.

The rest of the day passed with Castiel wavering in and out of sleep. Sometime after Dean fed him breakfast, Sam came to talk. They discussed what had happened. Sam’s description of events was something Castiel couldn’t get his head around but would meditate on it later, when he was well. After that, he had vague memories of being woken to eat lunch but nothing more until he’s awake once again with Dean touching his face.

“Wake up, sunshine.” Dean had a smile on his face. “We’ve arrived.”

Cas didn’t understand and tilted his head to the side. “Arrived?”

“Yeah. Welcome to Ord Mantell, Cas. Or as Sammy and I like to call it, home.”


	12. The warmth of home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam and Dean exchanged looks. Sam looked sick and when Dean glanced at Cas, the Jedi also looked somewhat nervous. Dean figured it was up to him. “So… Sammy can use the Force.” 
> 
> “Dean!” Sam jerked at the table, creating a loud thump when his knee struck it. 
> 
> “What, Sammy? It had to be said.” Dean fixed his brother with a stare, which Sam returned with his full on bitch face. 
> 
> “That ain’t surprising, idjits.” Bobby said, forestalling any further argument.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is on the short side but I definitely wanted to post today. 
> 
> May the 4th be with you!

Landing on Ord Mantell was something that made Dean sweat; he was sure that Baby had been tagged and their transponder codes would alert the Republic on the planet and that they would be met in the docking bay by troopers. Charlie, however, had thought ahead and had changed the codes on the ship so this wouldn’t happen. As such, the docking and landing process had been a breeze. After the ship was secured, Dean went to fetch Cas. The Jedi was still weak, so Dean had helped the man dress. Since his clothes were ruined, they ended up using Dean’s. He didn’t mind helping Cas out, but he was a little relieved that this time the Jedi could walk without swaying on his feet or professing dizziness.

When they came out, the ramp was already down and the doors open. A man stood in the entryway.

“Bobby.” Dean left Cas’s side and crossed to the man to give him a hug. The embrace was warm and a little hard; it had been a good many months since he and Sam had last been here.

When Bobby stepped back, he cuffed Dean on the back of the head. “Where have you been, ya Idjit? Ellen and I have been worried since we heard that someone had put a price on you two. What the hell is going on?”

Dean, for his part, looked sheepish. “There’s a lot to explain, but here’s not good, okay?”

“Fine.” Bobby huffed. “Did ya bring me any salvage?”

“Of course we did.” Sam answered as he walked in from one of the hidden cargo holds. “Got it all in here.”

“Just one?” Normally when they came home, they filled both holds with salvage for him.

“Yeah, we’ve got a job.” Dean said no more than that. He’d fill Bobby in on that too.

Bobby noticed the three extra people congregating in the common area. “And you’ve come in with extra mouths to feed. At least Ellen will be happy. Come on.”

They filed off the ship, then let Charlie deal with the paperwork (just in case their pictures had been sent around) then quickly left the space port. Bobby had his speeder out front, but it wouldn’t hold everyone, so Dean sent Charlie, Kevin, and Cas and agreed to follow up in a rental. Cas seemed particularly reluctant to go, however, it was unclear if that was because he didn’t know Bobby or if he didn’t want to leave Dean. Thankfully, the trip from the space port to the far side of Ord Mantell City where Bobby’s home was located was uneventful.

Sam and Dean arrived about 5 minutes behind Bobby. Cas was standing outside of the house in what was, ostentatiously the salvage yard. Bits of twisted scrap were piled about, creating twisted passages seemingly at random that lead to the house and then away to all corners of the yard. All manner of items could be found there and purchased for parts or scrap or whatever. The house was large but had seen better days just as most of the stuff surrounding it. It probably shouldn’t be comforting but to Dean, it was the closest to home he’d ever known.

Dean came to Cas’s side as Sam passed them by and went into the house. “Cas, it’s perfectly safe here. Bobby is good people. He’s practically family.” Dean took Cas’s hand in his and started to draw him into the house.

Cas resisted his pull. “It’s not that at all, Dean.”

“Then what is it?”

“I… I bring danger where ever I am. If this is your home and these people are you family, maybe it’s best I not be here.” Cas looked at the house behind him, at Sam who was standing on the porch being hugged by a woman with dark blonde hair. “This isn’t like Tatooine or Nar Shadaa. Those were independent worlds. This place is controlled by the Republic. If they find me here your whole family could be arrested.”

Dean sighed. A short while ago, that would have swayed him. He would have let Cas go. But it was far more complicated than that now. He’d watched the man nearly die and that did something to him. Something he still hadn’t processed yet but was sure Cas felt too. Why else would he be trying to leave when he hadn’t tried before? Besides, there was Sam now too. “And they would do the same if they found Sam here too, wouldn’t they?”

This seemed to give Cas pause. At least, he thought of it for a moment before he shook his head. “It’s not the same. I’m known to be a Jedi. Sam isn’t.”

“Whoever turned us in on Tatooine reported Sam too.” Dean shot back, because he couldn’t help but worry what would happen to Cas if they let him loose. The man could barely stand and… well, the rest of that he didn’t want to think about right now. He was sick of this argument. He grabbed Cas by the wrist and began to drag him to the house. “You can barely walk. You aren’t going anywhere.”

Cas didn’t resist this time and followed Dean to the porch where the woman waited for them. The minute they were close enough, she grabbed Dean and pulled him into a tight hug. She let him go a moment later only to cuff the back of his head. “You know how to use the holo-vid, boy.”

“I’m sorry, Ellen.” Dean said, trying to look contrite but he was smiling.

She gave an exasperated smile before pulling him in again, this time much tighter than before. When she let him go, she looked Castiel up and down. She glanced at Dean, raising her eyebrow as she took in the clothing that was clearly Dean’s.

“Not what you are thinking.” Dean said softly, and then drew Cas, who was doing the adorable confused head tilt thing, towards them. “Ellen, this is Cas. Cas, Ellen.”

Cas offers her a hand, still squinting at them as if confused. Clearly he caught the bit about what Ellen was thinking but failed to understand. Dean is somewhat relieved. “I’m pleased to make your acquaintance.” The Jedi says.

Ellen nods as she shakes his hand. “Any friend of Sam and Dean is welcome here. Come on.” She nods her head towards the interior of the house.

The house devolves into chaos as Jo also insists on meeting everyone and then Ellen insisted that she feed everyone after that. It wasn’t until everyone had eaten and settled at the table before it became clear that they would have to talk about what was going on. They waited until Jo left for work at a local cantina and Charlie and Kevin were settled upstairs in rooms for the night.

“So, by the look of you lot, there’s something you aren’t happy about.” Bobby said, his arms crossed over his chest. “Best to get it over with.”

Sam and Dean exchanged looks. Sam looked sick and when Dean glanced at Cas, the Jedi also looked somewhat nervous. Dean figured it was up to him. “So… Sammy can use the Force.”

“Dean!” Sam jerked at the table, creating a loud thump when his knee struck it.

“What, Sammy? It had to be said.” Dean fixed his brother with a stare, which Sam returned with his full on bitch face.

“That ain’t surprising, idjits.” Bobby said, forestalling any further argument.

Ellen frowned at all three of them. Everyone else fell silent because when Ellen spoke, everyone listened. “Look, boys, I didn’t know her too well, but your Mom was a Jedi herself.”

“How can that be?” Cas interjected. “The Jedi Order doesn’t permit close personal attachments. It certainly wouldn’t allow someone to have a family.” The moment he said it, he looked as if he regretted it, but neither Ellen nor Bobby seemed to notice his familiarity with the Jedi Order.

Bobby took over. “Mary Campbell was a Jedi in her youth. She left the Order after she met John Winchester.”

“For all the good it did her.” Ellen said shortly. It was well known that she didn’t like John. Neither Sam nor Dean dared argue with her on this front. Bobby’s second wife was the fiercest woman in the Universe.

“Ellen…” Bobby sounded tired as he rubbed his forehead. “She mentioned to me once that one of you boys might take after her. Seems it was Sam.”

“Yeah, well. It ain’t exactly a good time to be a Jedi.” Dean snorted, then instantly regretted it as not only Sam, but Cas too, winced.

“You’re not wrong.” Ellen said, rubbing her chin as she looked at Sam, then reached over to lay her hand on his shoulder. “Don’t you worry, son. You are safe here.”

“Seems like hiding the Force would be hard to do.” Bobby mused. “I hate to say it, but coming here may have been a bad idea.”

“We had a job, Bobby.” Dean explained. “We need the money to repair Baby.”

Bobby rolled his eyes. “You’re here now. We can fix her and then you lot can get.”

Sam licked his lips. “I… maybe it would be easier to hide it if I could find someone to teach me to control the Force.” Sam’s eyes flicked to Cas as he brought the conversation back on track.

“Could be, but you ain’t going to find one. The ones that lived have likely gone to ground.” Bobby snorted, then paused and really looked at the expressions on Sam and Dean’s faces. “You found one.” His voice was barely a whisper.

Ellen got to the answer first. “You.” She nodded at Cas, who’s hands were gripping his knees so tightly that his knuckles were white.

“I… am sorry I came here under false pretenses. I will leave immediately if you wish it.” Cas was tight lipped but to his credit, he didn’t avoid her gaze.

She barked out a laugh, surprising them all. “Boy, you were brought here by these two and are helping this one…” She nudged Sam’s shoulder. “… to stay safe. You’re more than welcome. I’ll not listen to that kind of talk again, you hear?”

Cas nodded in the face of Ellen’s stare. “I am humbled.” He said, bowing at the waist.

Dean let out a breath that he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.

Sam did too, only he was far more obvious with the whooshing of his breath. “That’s a good thing, Ellen. This guy nearly died getting us off of Nar Shadaa.”

“That is neither here nor there, Sam.” Cas said dismissively, his hands folded sedately in his lap. “I have to agree with Bobby. We need to fix the ship and leave as soon as we can. We may have gotten on world without notice, but Gordon Walker won’t be far behind and we already know he will use Republic Troops as his battering ram.”

That thought was more than enough to pull the wind from Dean’s sails. “Damn, do you think he’ll find us so easily?”

“He found us on Nar Shadaa.” Sam put in.

“Who the hell is Gordon Walker?” Bobby butted in with an expression that said he already expected that he wouldn’t like the answer.

“He’s a bounty hunter.” Sam answered immediately.

“What did you idjits do?” Bobby glowered at the pair of them.

“Nothing!” Dean spat out defensively. “He was hired by Azazel, maybe because of something Dad did.”

“Always John Winchester.” Ellen snorted. Bobby sent her a look. She raised her eyebrows and he looked away.

“Shit.” Bobby said after a long moment. “I need a drink.” He got up and pulled down a bottle of what looked like Alderaanian whiskey and poured them each a glass. For a long moment, there was silence in the kitchen as each of them emptied their glasses.

Ellen picked up the glasses and loaded them into the washer with the rest of the dishes from dinner. “We aren’t going to solve this tonight. Get some sleep and we will tackle it in the morning.” When everyone nodded, she put her hands on her hips. “Now, this ain’t a luxury hotel. You’ll all have to double up. Charlie’s in Jo’s room. Kevin said he bunked with Sam on Baby so we’re going with that. That puts you and Cas together, Dean.”

“Yes ma’am.” Both Sam and Dean agreed at once. Dean pushed Sam, who rolled his eyes.

“Jerk.”

“Bitch.”

“Go on.” Ellen told them, her expression becoming dangerous. Sam and Dean fled with Cas in tow.

***

Cas looked around himself as they climbed the stair to Dean’s room. The walls were dingy and the paper peeling, however, they were lined with holo images that depicted a happy family. Dean and Sam and Jo grinned in front of a Christmas tree in one. Another showed Bobby working under the hood of a beat up old speeder. There was one of Ellen and Jo leaning against a cantina bar. They showed a family life that Cas could only imagine and that, somehow, made him smile. He was glad that Dean had that, because otherwise, his life sounded as if it had been hard.

He discovered that he was falling behind and hurried up so that he was just behind Dean as they followed the went up a second flight of stairs to a third level of the house. Sam stopped on the second floor and disappeared down the hall, presumably to his own room. The staircase led up to an attic level that was finished off into a bedroom at the top of the house. Stepping into it made him smile because he was suddenly surrounded in all things Dean. The room even smelled like the smuggler. Cas paused there at the door and watched as Dean flopped onto the bed and began to pull off his boots.

“Are you coming, Cas?” Dean asked as he tossed one of his boots against the wall and out of the way.

“Yes, Dean.” He walked across the room and sat on the opposite side of the bed. As he sat, he found himself watching intently as Dean peeled off his shirt and tossed it into the hamper near a closet. The man was perhaps the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. It wasn’t just physically either, his memories from the previous day were filtering back to him and he knew that Dean was the one who had dragged him to the ship, refusing to leave him. He also knew that Dean had been at his side through most of the time he was weakened. Was… this what it was like to be cared for? He’d thought he’d been taken care of in the Temple but this was totally different. This was warm and comfortable. He… wanted more of it.

Dean caught him staring and his brow wrinkled. “Are you okay man?”

Cas looked away quickly. He hadn’t meant to stare; he had gotten lost in thought as he watched Dean, wondering at the warmth he felt for the man. “Yes Dean. I… slept a lot today.”

Dean chuckled as he walked to the closet and tossed a pair of pajama pants to Cas then took one for himself. “Not tired, huh? Well, Ellen said go to bed, she didn’t say we had to sleep.” Dean waggled his eyebrows in a suggestive way, though Cas wasn’t sure what it was suggestive of exactly.

He tilted his head as he surveyed the other man, trying to discern his meaning.

Dean laughed again, this time throwing his head back. “Man, that never gets old.”

“Are you… confusing me on purpose?” This confuses him too.

“No… no, just, the look you make… it’s kind of…. Endearing.” Dean said as he stripped off his pants and started changing into the pajamas.

Cas was watching him but the moment he found himself staring at Dean in his underwear and Dean’s underwear itself, he looked away with his face burning. He shouldn’t be thinking about Dean’s body, all of it, in the way that he is. He understands that it’s just a body but somehow knowing that it’s _Dean’s_ body is somehow different. He yearns for it. More, Cas thinks he understands and he knows that he shouldn’t feel this way.

_The Order is full of bullshit on the matter, Cassie._ Balthazar’s voice floats out of his memory, as it always does. This time, he listens to it. _I understand that there is danger, but honestly, how many of us are so obsessive that we could do terrible things? It’s bloody stupid and closed minded. Why do they think there are fewer Jedi every year? Jedi begat Jedi, my friend._ The memory is so clear, he can almost feel Balthazar’s hand as it slaps him on the back. The memory is from a mission years ago, just after they were both made knights. He wishes his friend were here now; but without that, he expects that he knows what his friend would say; he should follow the feeling and see what it brings him.

“You are staring hard core, man.” Dean is suddenly standing right in front of him, still shirtless.

Cas blinks in surprise but he doesn’t move. “I apologize. I was thinking.”

“Yeah.” Dean says as he sits down next to Cas. “What about.”

Cas doesn’t have it in him to lie. “You.”

This seems to bring Dean up short. “What about me?”

“I… think I’m attracted to you.” Castiel says it slowly, feeling it out as he goes.

“You think?” Dean repeats, seeming perplexed.

“Yes, Dean. I’ve never thought about it… or felt anything like it before. The Jedi forbid such things.” Cas’s brow furrows as he tries to work his way through the tangled web his thoughts are becoming.

“Maybe…” Dean licks his lips, “…you should try to think less and feel through it. Attraction isn’t exactly logical.”

“How…” Cas asks, though he thinks he already knows. “Is it… I… I can’t describe what I feel when you are near. I don’t have the words.”

“Do you like it?” Dean leans forward.

Castiel feels his heart rate spike and his hands feel warm, almost sweaty. “Yes.”

“Good.” Dean tilts forward and pressed his lips to Cas’s.

There is a moment when Cas is stiff, his brain working feverishly as he tries to process and then it just… shuts down. He relaxes into the kiss, his lips becoming soft as the sensation of the connection crawls over him. It’s like nothing he’s ever felt before. It’s incredible. He finds himself pressing back against Dean as he pays attention to what Dean is doing and how he does it, trying to mimic it. Dean’s breath catches and he pulls back. Cas almost chases those lips with his own.

Dean draws back to look into his eyes. He loses a moment thinking about how very green they are. “Good?” Dean asks.

When Castiel nods, he leans back in and they begin to kiss again. Castiel thinks that he could come to enjoy this very much. Dean’s hand is now resting on the back of his neck and their heads are tilted at opposite angles so their lips are sealed together. Following instinct, Cas parts his lips and gasps when suddenly he can taste Dean. Dean groans. That sounds is practically music to Castiel and he realizes, on its heels, that Dean is also enjoying their kiss. He wants Dean to enjoy it as much as he does. He wants to press for more, to bring their bodies closer when Dean draws back.

“God, Cas.” Dean’s voice is low and gruff. There’s heat in those green eyes seems to go straight to Cas’s groin. The smuggler rests his forehead against Castiel’s. “Your first?”

“Yes, Dean.” Cas licks his lips. He is sure that he can taste Dean there. “I would very much like to do that again.”

Dean’s fingers rub the back of Cas’s neck. “We can. Anytime.” Cas tries to lean right back in and Dean puts his fingers between their lips. “Just… maybe not so soon. I don’t want to take it further than you are ready for.” He gets up and switches the lights off.

While Dean is turning of the light, Cas sheds his (Dean’s) clothing and puts on the pajama pants, trying to hide his disappointed and the fact that he’s starting to get an erection. He shifts, focusing his thoughts into the Force and the arousal simmers down again. It only leaves him craving another kiss. The bed dips as Dean lays down on the other side. He feels the blankets tug as Dean lays down. Cas joins him under the covers.

“Dean?” Cas turns on his side, facing the smuggler.

“Yes, Cas?” Dean turns so they are facing each other. It’s dark enough that neither of them can see, but Cas can feel Dean’s breath. He’s close.

“Is it possible to just kiss without going farther?”

Dean draws a breath in. “You will be the death of me.”

Cas isn’t sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing. That worries dies swiftly when their lips touch again. This time, Cas touches the back of Dean’s neck. His skin is warm and smooth.  His attention is drawn, however, to the meeting of their mouths. The kiss progresses faster than it did before, and this time its Dean that parts his lips. A moment later, the wet warmth of Dean’s tongue presses against the juncture of his mouth. He follows instinct and lets him in. He can find no words to express how marvelous the deepening of their kiss feels. Their tongues touch and he shivers with want. He loses himself completely in the moment, soaking in the taste of Dean, the warmth that pulses between them. He can feel it through the Force as well as in his body. He wants this man in every way and that’s daunting because he doesn’t know what that means. When Dean pulls back this time, Castiel lets him. He now understands what Dean means by ‘going too far’.

“That was wonderful.” Castiel breathes, his fingers touching Dean’s cheek in the dark. There’s wonder in his voice. “Can we…. Later? When I am ready?”

Dean’s lips touch the corner of his, then his cheek. “Yes, Cas. I’d like that.”

With that decided, Cas finds that he’s able to relax, though he lingers with his arms around Dean. The place where their bodies touch is blissfully warm. He thinks about this until Dean relaxes completely in his arms as sleep finds him and then longer still, until sleep finds him too.


	13. Crossed paths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What is it, Sammy? I need to get on this salvaging shit so we can get out of here.” Dean is looking at him warily as if he knows what is coming. So be it.
> 
> “Look, it’s about Cas….” Sam begins and is not surprised when Dean rolls his eyes. Sam pushes on. “..You seem awfully close.” 
> 
> “Sam, it’s not the time for a heart to heart.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a surprise guest appearance in this chapter. (Okay, it surprised me because I hadn't planned for this person.)
> 
> Be warned, there's a small bit of what I consider graphic violence at the end of this chapter. 
> 
> Enjoy!  
> ~Neal

Sam woke up earlier than most of the others. Kevin was still snoring away, curled into his back like a really small personal heater. He probably should be worried that the young man was a cuddler; but he didn’t mind. The kid had nightmares, so Sam didn’t give him any crap. He slipped out of the room and down the stairs wearing a flannel pair of pajama pants and a plain white t-shirt. Ellen was in the kitchen frying bacon. Charlie was sitting at the table looking into a field of blue holonet images that seemed to float freely in front of her eyes. Sam had no clue how she did that and he was pretty damn good at slicing. Apparently Charlie was scary good.

“’Morning, Sam.” Ellen put a mug of coffee on the table in front of him.

“Thanks, Ellen.” She patted his head before turning back to the stove. Sam helped himself to the cream and sugar that were already laid out on the table before turning to Charlie. “Find anything good?”

“Mmmmm.” Charlie’s fingers flipped over the field and tossed images out of the way. She stopped on one. “Azazel is putting some pressure on Walker for results. I intercepted a couple of threatening emails. If Gordon doesn’t produce the two of you, he will have more to worry about than cybernetic arms.”

Sam winced. “Is he here yet?”

Charlie looked around her ‘screen’ to smile at him. “About that… it seems there was a glitch with the customs system and they can’t clear him for landing yet. And wouldn’t you know it? His interplanetary communications went down so he can’t effectively deal with the problem or contact the Republic either. What a shame.”

“You are scary good.” Sam said with a chuckle. He had no clue how she did such a thing but he was glad she was on his side.

“More good than scary, right?” She batted her eyelashes at him.

“Absolutely.” Sam couldn’t help but laugh, she was just so cute. Rather like the second little sister he’d never wanted. (Jo being the first.)

“I still haven’t found why Azazel wants you yet but I’m looking.” Charlie picked up her mug of coffee and put it to her lips but didn’t drink. Her green eyes were thoughtful. “I have picked up more about the other party that’s searching for you though. They were here not so long ago. Whoever they are, they cover their tracks well. Another hit occurred last night.”

“From where?” Sam wasn’t sure which he wanted to know about more, but the second set of hits, the unknown ones, pulled at his awareness. He was sure it was the Force tugging at him. He didn’t know why, but they were important.

“Alderaan.” Charlie said as she starting flipping the transparent windows in front of her again. “They were looking up the ruckus on Nar Shadaa and attempting to find where you went next. It’s not clear if they did or not.”

Sam sighed. “One thing at a time then. You keep working at it. I’ll take Cas and go finish the job we need to do. Dean and Bobby can repair Baby. Hopefully we can leave by tonight. We were taking Kevin to Alderaan next anyways.”

Charlie nodded without looking up.

“You gonna ask your brother about that?” Ellen asked with a knowing expression on her face.

“It’s what makes sense. The repairs will happen faster with two and Cas, well, he’s practically an army on his own.” He tries to ignore the vision of Cas bleeding and pale on Baby’s floor. “We can leave it up to Cas what he does. He’s a big boy.”

Ellen put a plate of bacon on the table in the center, then dropped a second plate in front of Sam. There were two eggs, sunny side up, for him. She always remembered what he liked.

“I wish you didn’t have to go.” Ellen said regretfully as she pushed a second plate of eggs towards Charlie. “You just got here.”

“I know Ellen. It’s just not safe.” Sam’s chest felt cold when he realized that it probably was never going to be safe again.

“It may be time to move on.” Ellen said as she sat down in front of her own plate of eggs and helped herself to some bacon. “We don’t much care for what the Republic is doing anyway. The Outer Rim is not in Palpatine’s pocket so much.”

Sam didn’t dare hope that Ellen meant it, but if she did, well, he and Dean would still have a home. These thoughts were interrupted by Dean and Cas joining them in the kitchen. Dean made a beeline to the coffee pot while Cas flopped at the table next to Sam looking grouchy, but this isn’t shocking. Time on the ship with Cas had shown them that Cas did not like to get up early.

“’Morning, Cas.” Sam said, mostly for the amusement factor of Cas grunting at him. He wasn’t disappointed. “Sleep well.”

Cas nodded, however, when Dean handed the man a cup of coffee, the grouchy frown became a smile (which honestly was all for Dean).

Dean sat next to Cas and across from Ellen. He immediately began to help himself to the pile of bacon. When Ellen made to get up to cook them both eggs, Dean waved her into her seat again. “So, we need to come up with a plan.”

“I think I’ve got one.” Sam told his brother before launching into it. “Charlie is working away at what Azazel wants. She can do that from here.  I figured that Cas and I would go drop off the cargo and complete Crowley’s job, while you and Bobby get to work on Baby’s repairs. Once we get paid, we can grab the rest of the supplies. In the meantime, you and Bobby can scrounge in the salvage yard.”

Dean was scowling. Sam fought the urge to sigh.  “I’m not sure that’s a good idea, Sammy. Cas is still on the mend. What if you run into trouble?”

Sam opened his mouth to answer, but Cas jumped in first. “I’m fine today, Dean. My head cleared enough yesterday that I was able to connect with the Force. Meditation healed me completely.” The Jedi grabs a piece of bacon off Dean’s plate and bites into it.

Dean says nothing about it (which amazes Sam, if he did that Dean would have flayed him), though he does turn a scowl on Cas now. “Don’t you think it’s a little soon after almost dying?”

“No, Dean.” Cas’s voice is gentle. “This is the life of a Jedi. I’ll go where I’m needed anytime. Sam’s plan makes sense. With two of you working on the ship we will be able to leave faster. I’m the only other person here who’s ready to handle things if something goes awry.”

Dean is still frowning, but he finally nods agreement. “Fine.” He gets up and goes to the stove, presumably to make some eggs for himself and Cas. The rest of breakfast goes without incident or much talking. When everyone has eaten, Cas offers to do the dishes for Ellen (which earns him a nod of approval) while Dean mumbled something about going to find Bobby out in the yard. Sam gets up to follow him.

They make it out into the yard before Sam catches Dean by the sleeve of his leather coat. “Hold up a second.”

“What is it, Sammy? I need to get on this salvaging shit so we can get out of here.” Dean is looking at him warily as if he knows what is coming. So be it.

“Look, it’s about Cas….” Sam begins and is not surprised when Dean rolls his eyes. Sam pushes on. “..You seem awfully close.”

“Sam, it’s not the time for a heart to heart.” Dean already sounds exasperated. This isn’t surprising.

Sam won’t be dissuaded. “Look, I’m not judging. I’ve just never seen you like this before. You didn’t complain when you had to share a bed with him. You hovered over him when he was sick…”

“I did not hover! I was just concerned. The dude almost ate it on my watch!” Dean shoots back defensively.

“You let him steal bacon off your plate!” Sam delivers this as if it is the coup de grace, crossing his arms across his chest with a stern look on his face (Bitch face #6).

This does indeed seem to bring Dean up short. He runs a weary hand over his face. “What the hell do you want me to say? That’s he’s special? What the hell do you care anyway?”

“I’m just concerned because it’s happening really fast.” Sam doesn’t know what to think about it, and he’s trying to work his way through it. It’s atypical for his love ‘em and leave ‘em brother.

“And there’s something wrong with that? I thought you liked Cas.” Dean is getting more defensive by the moment. His body is stiff and his arms are crossed as well, he’s definitely glowering at Sam and inching away as if he will flee at any second.

“I do, Dean… but if you can’t let him do what he needs to, then it’s a problem. Cas knows how to protect himself and is probably better at it then either of us.” Sam begins to frown as something niggles at the back of his head. It’s amazing how often the Force tries to tell him something now that he’s knows it’s there for him. He’s never gotten a warning about Cas and he doesn’t now; he knows that they need Cas and at the moment, he feels a rightness to the way Dean and Cas are. Sam has no clue what to do with that.

Dean looks as if he’s trying to think of something to say but is coming up empty.

Sam takes pity on him. “Look, if he makes you happy, then I’m happy. I just want you to be careful.”

“I’m always careful.”

“You are never careful.” Sam sighs, shaking his head.

“Chick flick moment over?” Dean says, his expression clearing somewhat.

“Yes.” Resignation fills Sam. He spoke his fill but got very little from Dean but defensiveness. Well, his brother did admit Cas was special. That was something, at least.

“Good. Get to work, Bitch.” Dean’s eyes flick over Sam’s shoulder where Cas has just emerged from the house.

“Fine, Jerk, I will.” Sam can’t help the light chuckle that escapes him. “See you later.”

Dean gives both of them a two fingered salute and is lost in the junk.

*****

Castiel catches up with Sam just as Dean leaves. He watches him go with a subtle feeling of disappointment. He’d wanted to hear Dean’s voice, even if it’s just to say goodbye and honestly, he has no idea why. That’s a ridiculous thing to want but his heart longs for it anyway. Listening to his heart is a strange venture in the first place. He’d rather focus on something else and looks at Sam. “Are we going somewhere in the city?”

“Yeah, we’ll go to the docking bay and get the Cargo, then we will see the guy Crowley wants us to deliver to, drop it off, get our money, and get out of there. Let’s just hope Crowley didn’t inform Azazel’s goons where we will be in an attempt to draw him out.” Sam looks like he’s not very hopeful himself.

“It’s better to be prepared. Maybe before we go, you could check in with the Force. If nothing else, it’s a good exercise.” Cas says, looking around at the relative safety of the salvage yard. He senses no danger for the moment.

“Okay.” Sam nods and walks to an out of the way place on the porch of the house and sinks into a cross legged sitting position. His eyes close and his body relaxes. Cas can see the moment the younger man touches the Force because he’s surrounded by a faint gold glow. He settled down next to Sam to wait patiently, because one couldn’t rush the Force. He would use it himself once Sam gave him any information about what they faced and to make a plan for them. Now, however, instead of directly meditating, he closed his eyes and thought about his current mental state and his feelings for Dean.

_Feelings._ That was the crux of the matter, after all. A Jedi wasn’t supposed to listen to their emotions because emotions cause imbalance. Yet, there was plenty of evidence that this wasn’t exactly true. The rumors were that Anakin Skywalker had a secret wife and his obsession with her had turned him into Darth Vadar, however, he couldn’t substantiate these. What he did know was that there were plenty of Jedi that left the Order and did not turn to the Dark Side. Mary Winchester was just another example of this, or so it seemed. He’d have to see if he could find out more about the woman to really know, but so far, nothing pointed towards that. He’d asked Charlie to look into it when Ellen had left the kitchen. She’d said she was way ahead of him. He often wondered how she was so good.

He saw Sam stir in his peripheral vision and gave the younger man his attention. He was amazed when Sam snapped back awake instantly. He remembered it taking some time to come back to himself when he had first learned to meditate, but then, he’d been under the age of 10, so that might have had something to do with it.

“All I’m getting is really hazy stuff. Gordon for sure, but everything else is indistinct. Maybe… it means that they aren’t certain yet?”

“I think you are right, Sam. The future is built on decisions and those are never certain until they are made. Depending on the turning of someone’s mind, one or another thing may happen.” Despite not being able to see far forward into the future, he was knowledgeable about it because he found it fascinating. Besides, he could see into the future, just only a few seconds – not useful for planning but it was excellent for reacting to save his skin in battle unless there were a lot of enemies – then there was simply too much going on for him to pay attention to all their actions. He was considered an excellent dualist because of this; one on one combat was his specialty.

Sam grunted in frustration. “It’s not very useful though.”

“Oh, but it is.” Cas insisted as he unfolded and stood up, then offered a hand to Sam. “You saw Gordon but no Troopers. Perhaps he won’t have his typical entourage and we will face him alone. That plays to our advantage.”

“But I got nothing about this deal.” Sam seemed a little mollified by this information.

“We will have to feel it out as we go. It’ll be a good learning experience for you.” Cas began to move away from the house. “You can try to check in with the Force without going into deep meditation as we go along.”

“Let’s go then.” Sam passed Cas and led the way to the gate. Silence lingered for some time; through the gate and into the rented speeder. About halfway to the space port, Sam turned to Cas. “Cas… when do I get a lightsaber?” He was clearly trying to hide his eagerness.

“When you are able to construct it yourself.” Cas answered, glancing back to the young man (who he was beginning to think of as his padawan) and chuckling. “I was in my teens. You have to find your own crystal first. You’ll feel it pull at you until you locate it.”

“Is it hard?”

“Building the saber or finding the crystal?” Cas tilted his head as he asked his clarification.

“Both.” Sam’s eyes were on the road before them but there was curiosity coming off of him in waves.

“Both are challenging but I found getting the crystal more difficult. I had to climb a nearly sheer cliff face on Belsavis. I broke my arm in two places.”

“Wow.” Sam breathed.

“It’ll come when it does, Sam. Some have a much easier time. I have… exceptionally bad luck sometimes.” There was silence in the speeder for another moment. When the space port loomed up before them, Cas turned to the young man again. “Sam?”

“Yes, Cas?”

“Will we be able to buy me some clothes? I’ll fight better if my pants aren’t falling down.” Dean’s clothes were just a little too big for him.

Sam barked out a laugh. “Of course, Cas. We should do it now; before we make the drop.”

It took little time to find Cas clothing that fit in the marketplace across from the space port and once again, he was clad in dark slacks, a button down, and a long brown coat. This one wasn’t quite as ugly as the original duster had been and was a shade darker, but Cas had been adamant about having one and wouldn’t listen to Sam’s protests.

They collected the nondescript crates from the hold, loaded them into the speeder and headed off towards the location of the drop. They wound their way through the streets of Ord Mantell City, passing through seedier and seedier neighborhoods until they came to the store front where they were directed. It held all the appearance of being a junk store, but the name matched, so they took the speeder around back and locked it, enabling the arm before going around to the buildings front entrance.

An electronic chime sounded when they passed through the door and the proprietor came out from the back. She was a short woman with dark wavy hair, a round face, dark eyes, and was very familiar. She wore a sardonic grin until she got a good look at them and froze. Castiel froze too. Sam noticed and looked between them.

For her part, the surprise lasted all of a millisecond before she spoke. “Well close the door, boys. You’re letting the Ord Mantell stench in.”

Sam turned and hastily closed the door. The woman’s hand slid under the counter and obviously pressed something because the door behind them locked with an audible click. Sam tensed, ready for a fight.

“Clarence!” She hissed. “What are you doing here? Are you _crazy_?”

“Meg.” Of all the people he knew, this was the last one he ever expected to find again.

Meg wasn’t done. “This world is crawling with Republic and here you are in all your glory. You always were a little weird but this…” She suddenly laughed and shook her head. “Well, you never did pay attention to what you were supposed to do.” Her smile was slightly cocked to the left and gave the impression that she was having a laugh at your expense.

She came around the edge of the counter and leaned her hip against it, one eyebrow raised.

“It’s good to see you, Meg. I thought …” He shook his head but whatever else he was going to say was lost when she hugged him. He was stiff in her arms, but she didn’t seem to mind.

“Still weird, I see.” Everything seemed to amuse her, which was typical. It felt familiar and somehow comforting, even though Meg had always been sure to cause trouble at the Academy.

Behind them, Sam cleared his throat.

“Ah… this is my associate, Sam.” He indicated to the man behind him.

“He’s as tall as a wookie.” She looked up at him, which was quite a ways up. “You got tall too, Clarence. Who told you that you could do that?” She punched his arm. It hurt, which was, of course, also true to Meg.

“I’m pleased to meet you.” Sam said, offering her his hand.

She took it with amusement glimmering in her eyes then stepped back. “This reunion is charming and all, but seriously, what the hell are you doing in my shop?” 

“We have a delivery to make here.” Cas began, but was cut off.

“Ah. Yes.” Her lips twisted in what was clearly distaste. “From my associate on Nar Shadaa. I’ll open the back.”

They passed into the back of the shop, which was lined with weapons cabinets. Most were filled with firearms that were clearly illegal, a good deal of them Republic issue that should only be used by Republic Troopers. She pushed open the back door, which was conveniently near the speeder.

“I’ll bring it in, Cas.” Sam said as he hopped off the loading dock and began to move the speeder closer so they could unload a little more easily.

Meg stood next to him. “Cas, huh? The boy I knew hated having his name shortened… or any nickname for that matter.”

“Not that some people cared.” Cas pointed out mildly. He remembered those days clearly. Meg had been the first friend he’d made at the Jedi Academy. He hadn’t tried, she just seemed to like him no matter how strange he was. They’d been thick as thieves through their training until Meg was dismissed and sent away.

Meg shrugged, unapologetic. “You liked it, admit it.” She grinned up at him, her eyes dancing in that teasing way she had. He’d never known how to respond to it and he still didn’t. Somehow that didn’t surprise him. “You made it all the way up, huh? I knew you would. You were always a better person than me.” Her voice was quiet and her eyes straight forward, watching Sam.

“That’s not true.” The answer was automatic, he’d believed in Meg in the same way that she’d believed in him. It seemed that they each hadn’t believed in themselves. He didn’t say she would have made a fine Jedi because he knew that wasn’t true but that didn’t make her a bad person. He’d been heartbroken in his own way when the Order sent her away. He understood why; she’d touched the Dark Side. It had only been the one time, under great duress but that had been more than enough for Master Adler. The council hadn’t even convened. She’d simply been put on a ship and was gone. Cas had been the only one to see her go. He’d walked with her the whole way. “You are who you are Meg. I won’t believe that person isn’t worthwhile.”

She sighed and lay her head on his shoulder. “Sap.” Then, after a moment’s thought, “You’ve changed. I feel uncertainty in you.”

He sighed. Meg could always see straight through someone. It was eerie but it kept him honest. It always had. “Things… are not what they were. The more I think about it, the more I wonder why I gave the Order such rigid obedience. It didn’t save anyone, did it?”

She snorted a laugh. “There’s more to it than that but you don’t have to tell me, Clarence. It’s just nice to know you are alive. I thought you might be dead with the rest.”

He nods, but says nothing. He knew that Meg was too clever to be caught by the Republic or to be caught using the Force.

“Which leads me to what the hell you are doing here and working for Crowley, of all people.” She looked up at him, then back to Sam, who was now moving crates. “Seriously though, he’s bad business all around.”

“We have a problem that’s even worse than that.” His life was a mess, but somehow he was still happy with it. He still found that strange.

“Fine, I’ll bite. What’s worse than Crowley?” Her arms were crossed over her chest, but she cocked her hip so it leaned against his leg. Once that would have flustered him, now it was just a point of contact that reminded him that his childhood friend was alive. He took joy in that and nothing more.

“Azazel.”

She hissed as she drew in a breath. “How did you make this mess?” Then she held up a forestalling hand before he could speak. “Never mind. The less I know, the better. I work for both men.”

“Meg!” His brows knit in concern.

She winked. “Don’t you worry your pretty little head, Clarence, I know what I’m doing. I’ve been passing information about both men back and forth over the last few years, waiting it out to see who will win. I can’t say I care much one way or another. It’s dangerous, but the money’s good.” She gave another of her careless shrugs. “You should be careful though, because they will draw you in.”

“It’s too late for that.” Cas knew they were stuck, but to him, the larger problem seemed to be Azazel.

“I guess so.” She nodded her head at Sam and changed the subject. “He reeks of the Force. Is he your padawan?”

Cas gave the faintest of nods.

“Well, teach him to hide himself, okay? The Republic has some Sith Force sniffers out and about. If they catch him, he’ll be dragged in before Palpatine. I’ve heard they are given a choice of swearing to Vadar or death.”

Cas hadn’t heard this. “Thank you, Meg. I will make it a priority.”

Sam was carrying in the last crate. Meg stepped to the side and drew Castiel with her as the young man passed. “You need to get out of here. I.. don’t want to see you killed here, okay?”

“As soon as I can, I promise.” He followed her inside when she passed him by.

She picked up an envelope from a nearby table and pressed it into his hands. “A holo from Crowley and your payment. I think it’s another job if you want it. He will use you to get at Azazel.” Their eyes met as she gave the warning.

“We know already. I think we can turn it to our advantage.” He was sure of it; the Force tugged at him, telling him it was so.

She seemed amused. “You always could pull a win out of thin air.” Shaking her head again, she stepped back. “You boys head out the back. I’ll let Crowley know that I’ve received it.”

Cas and Sam headed to the door with Meg trailing behind them. They headed down the dock and to the speeder. She stood watching them go, however, when they started to climb into the vehicle, she spoke up. “Clarence? You take care of yourself.”

“You too, Meg. Be careful.”

She simply grinned and waved as the engine started and they sped away.

Sam glanced at him sideways. “So…”

“A friend from the Academy.” Cas answered the unspoken question without pause. “She never became Jedi.”

“Why not?” Curiosity, it seemed, was Sam’s middle name.

“Because there was an incident where she channeled the Dark Side.” Thinking of it still bothered him, but he was thankful that being dismissed had worked to make Meg safe.

“She didn’t seem like a bad person.” Sam looked confused as he mulled it over.

“Touching the Dark Side once doesn’t make one a Sith, Sam. It’s a slippery slope and repeated use that drives a person to that depth of depravity.” At least, that’s what Castiel had always been told.

“It could happen to anyone, right?” Sam asked, his face growing more concerned as he thought it over.

“Yes, Sam. Anyone.” Cas confirmed.

The rest of the ride back to Ellen and Bobby’s home was spent in silence with each man lost to his own thoughts.

*****

Dean still didn’t like the plan, which was why he was still brooding over it while he and Bobby were working on Baby. They were working on replacing hull pieces with ones they’d pulled from the salvage yard that were still both sound and the right shape. It was hard work and required both of them to cooperate to get it done. It didn’t help that this proved Sam was right about the plan.

Shortly after they finished putting the third piece on, they took a break. Bobby looked him up and down before speaking with his typical no-nonsense way. “What’s got your panties in a wad, Princess?”

Dean gave him a hard look. “Nothing.”

“You’ve been pouting all damn morning.” Bobby pointed out.

“It’s just personal shit. Leave it alone.” Dean groused at the older man.

“Suit yerself.” Bobby climbed the ramp, presumably to grab something from the kitchen.

Dean plopped down on a nearby crate and scrubbed a hand through his hair. He needed to get a grip. Sam was right. Cas was a big boy and could take care of himself. Not only that, he had a mystical Force on his side that could presumably do anything. He could probably care for himself more readily than Dean could. These thoughts did not make him feel better.

“Look at you, Winchester.” Gordon Walker swaggered towards him slowly, two blasters trained on Dean. “No one here to defend you this time. You weren’t even paying attention. Easy prey.”

Dean glared at the bounty hunter. “Where’s your entourage? We figured that you couldn’t handle us without help.”

Rage passed over Gordon’s face before he could school it to neutrality. “Don’t be stupid. I wanted the pleasure of taking you down alone. Where’s your Jedi friend?”

“Out.” Dean said tersely, his jaw clenched.

“No matter. He’ll come to your rescue soon enough. When he does, I’ll be waiting.” Gordon’s expression became predatory. “Azazel doesn’t want him at all. He’s all mine and I plan to kill him nice and slow.”

Dean growled before he could stop himself, his fingers twitched at his side near his blaster.

The movement attracted Gordon’s notice. “Ah-ah. No moving unless you want to sport a new hole in that pretty body of yours.”

Dean was stuck. His anger simmered as he struggled to think of a way out. This was the second time the asshole had gotten the jump on him and it made him furious.

There was a faint sound to his left and then the loud report of a double barreled blaster rifle being unloaded. The rounds hit Gordon before the hunter had a chance to react. He took one to the chest and the second to his head, having been caught completely unawares.

Bobby ejected the energy cartridge and slide in another one, then brought the rifle up to the ready as he came down the ramp. He stood over Gordon and pumped another two rounds into him, just to be sure, which reduced the man’s head to a crushed, bloody pulp. There was no surviving that. Dean gaped at Bobby in open mouthed shock.

“That’s what happens when you fuck with my family, asshole.” Bobby said with finality.

Dean suspected that he didn’t feel the least bit of remorse and that was exactly why he loved the old geezer.

“Yer gonna catch flies if ye don’t shut yer trap, boy.” Bobby grunted as he set the rifle to lean against the ramp and surveyed Gordon’s messy corpse. “Let’s get to back to work.”

“What about…?” Dean pointed wordlessly to the crumpled form.

“When Cas and Sam get back, we’ll put him in the hold and when you get into space, jettison him out. Problem solved.” As usual, Bobby had a plan for everything.

Dean shrugged. It worked for him. He went on the ship briefly to grab a piece of plastic sheeting, covered the body, and then followed Bobby back to the hull. He found the old man whistling as he organized their tools. _Leave it to Bobby to be cheered by a murder_. Dean chuckled to himself as he climbed the ship and waited for Bobby to pass him another sheet of metal. At least one of their problems had been solved. He couldn’t wait to tell Sam and Cas.


	14. Following the trail

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “First things first.” Sam spoke up immediately. “We take Kevin home. He’s waited long enough."
> 
> The younger man ducked his head as if hesitant to be the center of attention but he was smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry this took me so long to write. I've been sick for the last week and a half. I do have the next chapter all laid out in my head so it shouldn't take so much time to write it.
> 
> Enjoy!  
> ~Neal

The end of the day saw the ship repaired and their business on Ord Mantell completed. For Dean, this was both a relief and a sadness; he’d not gotten any time with spend with Ellen, Jo, or Bobby and there had been no time to relax. They’d spent another night in the house at the Salvage Yard, which had been a risk, however, for once, they’d gotten off of a damn planet without pulling the Republic down on their heads. They’d even had time to give everyone hugs before they’d climbed onto Baby to leave.

Bobby had stopped him before he’d boarded. “You take care of that brother of yours. Though, I suspect you’re going to have some help.” The man’s eyes darted to where Cas stood next to the ramp, patiently waiting for Dean to board with him.

“Yeah, I think so.” Dean said, finding himself warmed by the Jedi’s consideration of him. “Don’t you worry, Bobby. I won’t let anything happen to Sam.”

“Don’t let anything happen to you either.” The old man said gruffly before he giving him a hug.

Ellen caught him next. “Take care, you here?” She caught him up in a much warmer hug than he’d received from Bobby. When she pulled back, she looked at him seriously. “I’ve got some lines out for places to go that aren’t so heavily guarded by the Republic. You keep in touch.”

“Yes, ma’am.” With his heart buoyed by Ellen’s promise of going somewhere that they could return to, Dean went up the ramp with Cas following and took his seat in the pilot’s chair. Sam took his place next to him.

“Alderaan?” Sam said, glancing over to him.

“Alderaan.” Dean agreed and with that, they left the space port and Ord Mantell behind them.

*****

Sam left the cockpit just after they jumped into hyperspace, leaving Dean to fuss with the controls and the autopilot. He walked out into the common area to see Cas and Charlie sitting at the Dejarik table and Kevin was off to the side, sitting at the bar next to the kitchen area. Sam joined him there, sitting on the next stool. “So, we’ll stop on Alderaan next.”

“Did you take Crowley’s next job?” The young man asked.

Sam flicked his gaze to the other man out of his peripheral vision however, he could read nothing in his face. “How do you know about that?”

Kevin shrugged. “It’s Crowley, there’s always another job. They are always lucrative, of course, but it never ends.”

Sam nodded, understanding. “I take it you have experience.”

“Some.” Kevin was staring at his hands, which were clasped on the bar in front of him. “He’s the reason I was on Nar Shadaa.”

Sam finds himself curious. “Where are you from then?”

“Alderaan.” Kevin answers him, without hesitation. “I hadn’t lived there for some time though. My mom and I, we had been on Coruscant for a long time. Right up until Palpatine destroyed the Jedi Order.” Sam remained silent, giving Kevin a chance to talk. He wasn’t disappointed. “We were there that night, when the Temple was burned. Mom was worried and she made a deal with Crowley to get me off the world. She was worried because of her work with Bel Organa.”

“Your mom worked with the senator?” Sam was familiar with the name, he knew that he did some important work in the Galactic Senate and that his predecessor had run against Supreme Chancellor Palpatine at some point. Politics hadn’t been very important to Sam until very recently.

“Our family has been allied with the Organa family for years. Mom was very proud of her placement with the Senator. But she also worried that it meant negative attention for me. She paid Crowley to get me off of Coruscant, but she didn’t specify where. Crowley dropped me on Nar Shadaa where his offices are until she could come get me. I’m afraid she’s dead so I convinced him to let me go with you back home.” Kevin was still looking down at his hands, his face tight with pain.

“Do you have family there?” Sam felt for him, he knew what it was like to lose a parent, though perhaps not as keenly. His dad had not exactly been parent of the year.

“Some cousins. My dad died a long time ago.” He finally looked up at Sam, his dark eyes shone with unshed tears. “It’ll be good to be home and if they will take me, I’ll continue mom’s work with the Organa family. It’s important to continue what mom started.”

Sam could tell there was a lot more to it than that, and he wanted to prompt Kevin to tell him more, however, Cas joined them at that moment. Whatever Kevin was going to tell him was cut off with the Jedi’s arrival.

“Your mother was Linda Tran?” Cas said, engaging Kevin.

Kevin bobbed his head in a nod. “That’s mom. I wouldn’t think that a Jedi would know much about her.”

Cas looked away from them, his eyes growing distant. “I was on Coruscant for a time before… it happened. Politics was not something I saw to; I tended to be on the battlefield more.”

“Were you in a battle… when it happened?” Kevin’s eyes were quite large at the thought, though it was hard to tell if it was Jedi worship or fascination with battle.

“No.” Castiel’s eye came back to them, though he still seemed distant. “I had been in the Temple because they were considering placing a padawan with me so they sent me to mentor a new Jedi knight as a test. I… failed him horribly.”

Sam could read the tension in the man’s shoulders, but more, he could feel the Force tugging at him. He could sense the sadness in the other man. It was strange. “You couldn’t have done anything. The whole world turned again you.”

“He told me he would be fine. That we were on a world he knew…” Cas shook his head. “He didn’t make it off of Corellia. I should have gone with him.”

“Maybe you would both be dead.” Dean’s voice startled all three of them. “Where would we be then? Likely dead on Tatooine.”

“That’s true, Cas.” Sam put in, because if it hadn’t been for the Jedi, they wouldn’t have gotten away from Gordon.

“And I’d likely still be on Nar Shadaa instead of going home.” Kevin added. After all, he’d known Charlie, and Charlie had directed the brothers to Kevin.

Some of the tension released from his shoulder. “I… suppose so. The will of the Force is hard to know.”

There was silence in the room until Dean barked a laugh. “Man, if that isn’t one of those vague Jedi-isms you are always hearing about, I don’t know what is.”

Cas looked miffed. “Dean, the Force _is_ hard to understand at times.” When this only made Dean’s grin widen, Cas’s shoulders slump. “I am coming to understand that there exists a great many more gray areas than I believed possible.”

Dean seemed to think better of teasing the Jedi and clapped the man on the shoulder. “You are thinking about this too hard, buddy. Let’s go grab some lunch.” He steered Cas a short distance into the kitchen where the two men began to make sandwiches.

Sam watched them go while trying to hide a smile. He was still concerned, but the more he thought about it, the more he got a sense of rightness when those two were together. Maybe the Force liked it. He had no clue how he was supposed to read that feeling anyway. He glanced back over to Kevin. “Do you want to play Dejarik while they work on lunch?”

Kevin nodded and they both got up to find that Charlie was still at the table. “Who’s next? I’m on a roll today!”

Sam exchanged a glance with Kevin. “It may take both of us to beat her.”

“We won’t know until we try.” Kevin pulled up an extra chair and the two put their concentration to trying to (unsuccessfully) beat Charlie.

*****

Landing on Alderaan was risky, but not nearly so much as landing on Ord Mantell had been. Still, they had Charlie who worked her magic to change their transponder codes again so they were twice now removed from the ones they had used to leave both Tatooine and Nar Shadaa. The general consensus was that they could all breathe easier now that Walker was dead, however, there was still the threat of Azazel out there and they knew it would be a matter of time before he hired another bounty hunter to find them. Charlie was still trying to work out why Azazel wanted the Winchester brothers. Sam was adamant that it was something that their father had done but Dean was having a hard time believing that John had been involved with Azazel. For all intents and purposes, his father blamed the man for their mother’s death. Something wasn’t adding up for him.

There was, however, a couple of decisions to be made when they touched down on the planet surface, so the group gathered up in the commons area to discuss their plans and what would happen next.

“First things first.” Sam spoke up immediately. “We take Kevin home. He’s waited long enough."

The younger man ducked his head as if hesitant to be the center of attention but he was smiling.

“Agreed.” Cas volunteered, his eyes darting around the room for any signs of dissent. “I suggest we escort him to where he needs to go before we do anything else.” What went unspoken was the very real possibility that getting tangled up with them could cost the young man his life.

“And after that?” Dean asked impatiently.

“Well, there’s the job from Crowley….” Charlie began, “…and the weird hits I’ve been following. The perpetrator is definitely here. There was definitely another one of them before I left the cockpit after we landed.”

“How long until you find them?” Dean crossed his arms over his chest, considering.

“Not long at all. By the time you drop off Kevin and get back, I should have it.”

“And Crowley’s job? Is it time sensitive?” Cas asked as he settled himself on the stool next to Dean.

“No.” Charlie answered as she began to pull up the blue screen where she sat at the Dejarik table. It seemed to follow her where ever she went. “It looks pretty tame on the surface. Another smuggling run in which something is delivered to the docking bay here and we deliver it elsewhere. He left no particulars to where we are going.”

Sam felt something tugging at him when they mentioned the job but it was odd; he got a sense of danger but also a feeling of rightness to it. He had no idea what to make of it and decided he would ask Cas later; the Force had been sending him mixed signals lately. “I think we should do it, but I’m not sure why.”

Cas looked at Sam sharply before nodding once. “I cautiously will agree, however, let’s reserve that decision until after we’ve done the rest.”

Dean pushed away from the bar in the kitchen area. “So it’s settled. We take Kevin home, then come back to find out from Charlie where our stalker is.”

When all were agreed, Kevin’s things were gathered up, Charlie returned to the cock pit, and the rest went outside to wait.

Dean was leaning against one of the landing gear, standing next to Cas. “What’s the deal with Crowley’s job?”

Cas startled and looked at Dean wide eyed, clearly having not expected the other man to speak. Dean found it all sorts of adorable but said nothing. Cas licked his lips, his eyes boring into Dean’s before he answered. “I don’t know, Dean. I suspect Sam has some indication from the Force. I don’t get them the way he does.”

Dean’s brow wrinkled. “So, the Force doesn’t work the same for everybody?”

“No.” A tiny smile itched at the corners of Cas’s lips but never truly bloomed into anything more. “Sam can do many things that I could not. The healing he performed? To my knowledge, there was no one in the Temple who could do anything close to that. Whatever Sam does, he does it with great strength. He sees things I do not. My talents lie more towards battle. I’m a soldier.”

Dean took this information and filed it away to think about at a later time. He wasn’t ready for his baby brother to be the strongest Jedi ever or whatever Cas was getting at. He was spared from further comment by Sam and Kevin making their way down the ramp. “All ready?”

Kevin nodded before falling into step just behind Dean and Cas with Sam at his side. “Thank you for getting me here. My mom may be gone, but it’s still home.”

“No problem, Kid.” Dean rather liked the soft spoken former bar tender, if for no other reason than that he and Sammy seemed to be friends.

The space port they had come into was in Aldera, which had been decided as the safest place for them, even though the Organa’s still held a seat on the Senate. Rumor had it that they weren’t happy with Palpatine and that was enough for them right now. Besides, this is where Kevin needed to go. As they navigated the small city with Kevin directing them, Dean shivered into his leather jacket and glared at the snow on the ground. He doesn’t remember Alderaan, even though Charlie says he was born there. Why exactly does it have to be so cold? As if reading his thoughts, Cas’s body inches just a little bit closer, so he can feel the heat radiating off the Jedi which somehow makes it a little bit better. He tosses a grin to the man before Kevin stops and seems to be nervously eyeing a home just down the street before them. It is a stately place, looking as if it belongs to someone important.

Behind him, Sam spoke. “Is this where we are going, Kevin?”

“Yeah.” The young man sounded nervous as he eyed the place, likely because he knew his mother was gone. After a moment of thought, his face screwed up with determination and he marched down the sidewalk to the large home and went to the door. He knocked, his expression sheepish.

They waited in silence, no one quite sure what to say to make this homecoming easier. Sam put his hand on Kevin’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. The young man smiled. The door was pulled open by a short woman with dark, precisely cut hair and a pristine suit. She gasped.

“Kevin!”

“Mom!” The two fell into each other’s arms. The woman pressed a kiss to the boy’s head while Kevin dissolved into tears.

Cas nudged Dean and they both shared a smile.

Soon, the pair was pulling apart. “I thought you were killed, Mom!” Kevin stepped back from his mother, wiping his tears away.

“I couldn’t find what that man did with you!” Mrs. Tran gasped with clear vexation. “I didn’t want to leave Senator Organa at such a time as this, but you were missing and I had to. I’ve had private investigators and bounty hunters trying to find you.”

“I’m guessing if Crowley doesn’t want to be found, then he won’t be.” Dean muttered, intending for just Sam and Cas to hear, but Mrs. Tran did too. Her dark eyes fixed on Dean.

“I would expect so. I’ll never do business with that vulture again. I wouldn’t have if I wasn’t desperate to get my son off of Coruscant.” She narrowed her eyes at the three of them. “Now, who are you lot? I expect you’ll want money for bringing him home.” There was something dark and a little scary about the way she looked them over.

Even Cas seemed to shift nervously underneath her gaze.

“Uhhh… no.” Dean said finally, when it seemed no one else was going to speak. “We’re square.” They’d made the arrangement with Kevin after all, service for service and while they might play fast and loose with the laws, they didn’t go back on their word.

This seemed to bring Mrs. Tran up short. She blinked at them in surprise. “No?”

“No.” Sam said, taking over for Dean, which was something of a relief. “Kevin helped us out in a jam and we promised to bring him home.”

Mrs. Tran’s face broke out into a large smile. “Well, then, you have my thanks.” She offered her hand to them. “Linda Tran, aide to the Organa family.”

Sam took her hand first. “Sam Winchester, this is my brother Dean, and that’s Cas.” Mrs. Tran shook each of their hands in turn.

“I insist you come in.” She held the door open for them and they went in because it seemed one did not disagree with Linda Tran.

They were there for roughly three hours. In that time they were fed, given a little thank you (in the form of a startling amount of credits), and were otherwise educated to the importance of Mrs. Tran. As an Aide to the Senator of Alderaan, she dealt with a higher circle of people and could fill them in on the current political landscape. The Republic had just been formally abolished and Palpatine had set himself up as a new Emperor, which did not bode well for anyone who was a Jedi. Most of it was beyond Dean’s grasp but this tidbit stuck out to him. They would have to work hard to keep Sammy safe. He was mystified as to how they would do that.

Sam was the one who finally hinted that they needed to leave, so Kevin and Mrs. Tran led them to the door. They said their goodbyes and turned away, then Kevin stopped them.

“Thanks again, guys.” He said, running down the steps to impulsively hug Sam. “Take care of yourselves.”

“Will do, Kev.” Dean promised, and after pausing to ruffle the young man’s hair, he led them back to the space port.

Charlie was waiting for them when they arrived. “Took you long enough!”

“Hey, Kevin’s mom wasn’t dead.” Dean said by way of explanation before dropping into one of the seats next to the Dejarik table. “Did you find our guy?”

“Sure did. About an hour after you guys left.” Charlie told them, grinning as she held up her hand for a high five.

Dean gave it a critical stare. Charlie raised both of her eyebrows expectantly at him. Dean caved and gave her the requested high five. To his left, Sam snickered. _Bitch_. Dean thought uncharitably before shaking it off. “So, where are we going?”

Charlie handed him a datapad. “It’s pretty remote. I can’t tell you what’s out there, just that the signal is there and no longer hidden. I think they want you to come.”

“We should expect trouble.” Cas said to the room at large, his arms crossed over his chest as he stared at the room in general.

Sam nodded sagely. “Want me to see what I can see?”

“I think that would be wise.” Cas agreed and Sam sank down into his customary cross legged position. Within moments, he was surrounded by a golden glow.

Dean looked to Cas. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that.”

“In time he’ll learn to keep it from showing.” Cas promised as he watched Sam commune with the Force.

“Can you feel it… when he…” Dean wasn’t sure what he was asking and so indicated towards Sam.

“Some.” Cas seemed to understand what Dean was asking. “I can feel the Force around him but I have no idea what it is telling him.”

Dean nodded his understanding and turned his eyes back to Sam. After a few more minutes, he began to fidget. “How long does this take?”

Cas chuckled. “It takes as long as it does. You can’t rush the Force.”

Dean rolled his eyes again and turned to Charlie, who challenged him to a Dejarik game. When Sam rose out of his trance, Dean was losing badly and was glad to have a distraction. They all looked at Sam expectantly.

He gave them a sheepish grin while he shoved his hands into his pockets. “I don’t know if what I got will be helpful. I… there is some danger there, but it’s not the same as say… what happened on Nar Shadaa. Whatever it is, it’s important.”

“That’s all we have to go on?” Dean asked, a little disappointed.

“I didn’t even get images or anything, just feelings.” Sam said, shrugging again in apology.

“It’s okay, Sam. There are simply some things we can’t see. Even you.” Cas said reasonably. “That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t arm ourselves and be prepared.”

“Says the guy who’s always armed.” Dean joked as he went to the weapons locker and opened it up. He browsed the stock and decided on a couple of blasters that he tucked into his belt. Sam reached in behind him and got a blaster for himself and then tucked the sawed off in the holster on his back.

“I’ve commandeered a speeder for you guys. It’s sitting in front of the space port.” Charlie said from her seat at the table.

“You’re the best.” Dean said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders to give her a quick squeeze.

“If you aren’t back tomorrow, I’m sending out the cavalry.” Charlie warns as she turned and gives Dean a full hug that he wasn’t expecting. “I mean it. Now, hug time.” She releases Dean to cross to Sam and give him the same treatment. Dean chuckles as he watches Sam return the hug with a bemused pat to Charlie’s back. Cas is the last to be hugged and he stands stock still as if he’s never been hugged before.

Sam nudges the Jedi. “This is the part where you hug back.”

Cas starts and awkwardly puts his arms around Charlie. Dean can’t stop the chuckle as he watches. Cas shoots him a look. Dean waggles his eyebrows in return. He enjoys watching Cas roll his eyes in response. As soon as hug time ends, they head out of the ship. Charlie stands in the doorway and watches from the top of the ramp as they leave.

The air is a little tense as they climb into the speeder and leave Aldera behind them. The further they get from the city, the colder it gets. Sam is hunched into his coat in the passenger seat, however, Cas seems unaffected in the back seat.

“Okay, what gives?” Dean asks as he glances back at the Jedi. “We are freezing our nuts off up here and you look fine!”

“Jedi can use the Force to regulate their body temperature. I simply am not feeling the cold.” Cas answers with a shrug.

“I wish you had taught me that.” Sam grouses while he breathes onto his hands to warm them, fog rising from his lips with each breath. The speeder is enclosed but the heat is not working very well at all.

“You _both_ suck.” Dean declares as they cross the rugged landscape, following the coordinates that Charlie gave them. The sun sets, bringing a greater cold as it got darker. At some point, Sam has scooted into Dean’s side so the two of them can share warmth. Beyond complaining that Sam smelled like a Wookie, Dean does nothing to push his brother off. They pass through several small villages before the landscape gives way to mountains, snow, and yes, more cold.

“This is fucking shit.” Dean bursts out through clenched teeth as they leave yet another small village and turn onto a winding mountain pathway. “My fingers are stiff, I can’t feel my toes, and my balls are trying to crawl back in!”

“Dude, no one cares about your balls!” Sam said, shivering though less than Dean. Dean suspects he’s now using the Force too.

“I care about them!” Dean grinds out before finally stopping the speeder. “I can’t do this anymore. I’m going to lose body parts.”

Sam rolls his eyes before pushing the door open. “Fine, I’ll drive.”

Sam takes over the driver’s seat but as Dean goes to climb into the passenger seat, Cas catches his eye. “Come here, Dean.”

Dean doesn’t hesitate to climb into the back next to the Jedi. He’s pleasantly surprised when Cas takes both of his hands and tugs them in towards his body. Cas’s hands are warm and he is splendidly warm. Dean decides he doesn’t care what Sam thinks and snuggles in next to the man. After a long moment, he notices that it’s not just his hands getting warm, but all of him is starting to warm up, even his toes.

“Cas?”

“I wasn’t sure if I could… tell me if you get too warm.” Cas murmurs as he runs his fingers over the backs of Dean’s hands. The thought that Cas is deliberately warming him up means a great deal to Dean and he leans up to brush their lips together. He feels the curl of Cas’s lips as the Jedi smiles and then Cas is kissing him back. It’s gentle but Dean savors it, already considering parting his lips to deepen their contact.

Sam clears his throat from the front. “None of that.”

“Cockblock.” Dean mutters as he leans more fully into Cas’s side. He’s not sure how much time passes; in fact, Dean startles awake when the speeder stops.

“We’re here.” Sam tells him as he opens the door. In front of them is a lone house sitting on a field that is covered in a pristine snow blanket. There are mountains rising around them on all sides; Dean thinks that they couldn’t get more secluded if they tried.

“Are you ready for this?” Dean asks, his eyes flicking to Sam and then Cas. Both of the nod. With hands on their weapons, they approach the house, which is little more than a cottage. Lace curtains are hung in the windows.

They approach the door slowly but nothing moves. Light pours through the curtains, giving the place an inviting glow. They glance at each other again, then Dean steps up onto the porch. Just as he is about to ring the bell, the door opens before them. A young man is standing before them. He has light colored hair, blue eyes, and meets them with a crooked grin on his lips. “Sam. Dean.” He pushes the door open wide. “My name is Adam. I’m your brother.”


	15. Family Ties

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now Cas was glowering. “What you suggest is dangerous. Sam could hurt himself and others. Why would we need such haste?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Several notes today:   
> First, I bumped up the rating to explicit this morning. We are heading in that direction now. (I wasn't sure they would go there, which is why I didn't tag it right away.)
> 
> Second, I wrote in Eileen because I love her. If you are up to date on Supernatural, you probably know why. 
> 
> Third, there is a greater amount of Destiel at the end of this chapter to soothe our raw souls. 
> 
> Enjoy.   
> ~Neal

Silence reigned in the wake of Adam’s announcement. Both Sam and Dean were clearly stunned, so Castiel slipped between the two of them and faced Adam. “Hello, Adam. I’m Cas, a friend of Sam and Dean.”

“The Jedi.” Adam nodded, taking Castiel aback. “I know about you.” He glanced back and forth between the two brothers. “You guys should really come in, it’s cold out.”

This spurred them into motion and they all filed in through the door, letting Adam close it behind them. The room was simply furnished with a couple of chairs and a couch. On the far side of the room there was a doorway that opened into what appeared to be a kitchen. A woman with auburn hair stood in it, watching them suspiciously with her arms crossed beneath her breasts. She had a blaster pistol on her hip and seemed slightly older than Adam.

Once inside, silence bloomed in the room. Dean and Sam looked at each other, but neither had answers. Cas shifted foot to foot because he wasn’t sure how to respond or how this boy knew about him.

Sam recovered first. “I… we didn’t know we had a brother.”

“Half-brother, actually.” Adam said easily, gesturing towards the couch and chairs in the living room. “We have the same Dad.”

Again, Sam and Dean exchanged looks. Dean ran a rough hand through his hair. “Jeez….”

“I take it that you are the one who has been looking for us.” Cas said, taking over to give the Winchester brothers time to take this in. It was clear that they were both reeling from the knowledge.

“Yeah, I had some help and some prompting.” He shrugged. “It seemed the best idea since… well, since Azazel is after all of us.”

Cas crossed his arms over his chest. When he moved, he noticed that the women in the doorway had also moved, her hands drawing closer to her blaster as if she thought he was a threat. He released his arms in an attempt to be non-threatening. “This has something to do with Azazel?”

“Well, yeah.” Adam’s expression made it clear that he thought Castiel a little dense for not knowing this. “Azazel is hunting down anyone with any sort of connection to John Winchester. He sent a bounty hunter after me too.” He nods towards the woman. “I was just lucky that she was after the bounty so she could get close to Azazel.”

“The enemy of my enemy.” Castiel murmured, then turned to the woman directly. “And you are?”

“Eileen Leahy.” Her answer was terse and her manner was still suspicious. Being a bounty hunter, this made sense.

“What do you want with Azazel?” Dean asked, reminding the entire room that the brothers were still there.

“I didn’t ask you for your life story.” She shot back at him, her words holding a faint slur as she spoke. Castiel wondered if it was an accent of some sort until he realized that it likely meant that she was deaf. He filed this information away.

Dean bristled at the response and opened his mouth again, but Sam cut him off. “That’s fine. We don’t need to know. If we are all after Azazel, that’s good enough.” He shot a smile at Eileen. She simply scowled at him as if she wasn’t sure what to make of him.

“Great.” Adam said, pushing away from the door. “Now that we are all on the same side. I have someone else I want you to meet.”

“Might as well lay it all out on the table, kid.” Dean said, his eyes sweeping the small space before coming back to Adam. Castiel’s eyes flicked from Dean to Adam as he catalogued the similarities between the two men. It was just hints here and there, but Cas could begin to put together a picture of John Winchester.

“Yeah… this one... this one is a little bit harder to believe.” Adam said, looking hesitant for the first time.

“Harder than a long lost brother?” Dean snorted, making it clear that he didn’t believe that was possible.

_“Much harder.”_ A new voice sounded in the room. It wasn’t exactly something that could be heard aloud, per se, Castiel heard it in his mind before he heard the sound.

Because he was looking, Castiel was the one who saw her first. In the far corner of the room, near a second hallway that led deeper into the cottage, he saw a faint glow. As he watched, it took shape elongating to form into a person, the features sharpening into a woman with blue eyes and blonde hair. She was transparent and suffused with the glow of the Force. A Force ghost.

Dean made a strangled sound low in his throat. “Mom?”

*****

Dean felt as if the entire world had been spun on its head. He couldn’t believe his eyes but she was exactly as he remembered her. In fact, she was the same as when he saw her in his dreams. “Mom?”

“ _Dean.”_ She smiled at him, and it was just as warm as he’d always imagined it would be from the few holos their dad had kept after she died. “ _Look at what a handsome man you’ve become.”_ She held out a hand to him and despite his reticence, he was drawn to her.

She turned her hand and her eyes softened. “ _Sam.”_ She held her other hand out towards Sam. “ _You are every bit as strong as I saw you would be.”_

When Dean reached her side, her fingers slid over his arm; he could feel the touch of her hand but it was not solid. There was a tingle of energy and faint warmth that passed over his skin. It was eerie but somehow comforting. Even with this evidence, he wasn’t sure what exactly he was seeing. He knew his mother was dead, though he hadn’t seen her die, and despite having yearned to see her again for most of his life, it was still disconcerting.

Sam stepped up next to him and she reached out to touch him as well. Her fingers glowed a faint blue as she stroked down Sam’s arm. Unlike himself, he saw goose flesh rise on his brother’s skin under his mother’s hand. He supposed it was a Force thing.

“What… what are you doing here?” Dean stammered, beyond his depth.

_“Finishing something that was started a long time ago.”_ Mary stepped between them, her lips curving into a serene smile. _“I couldn’t stop it years ago, so I found a way to be here when my boys need me the most.”_

Both Sam and Dean glanced at Adam, who was now standing somewhere next to Eileen near the kitchen.

“ _Yes, even Adam. Life moves on. I can’t fault John for finding comfort after I was gone. He’s family and in as much danger as both of you.”_ Mary passed them by and crossed the room to where Cas waited near the front door. The Jedi inclined his head to their mother’s ghost, a gesture to which Mary returned to him. “ _I have you to thank for seeing Sam so well trained so far.”_

“I have barely started with his training.” Cas said slowly, his eyes squinting as he watched her. “He has a long way to go.”

_“I know. You clearly would be a very good Master. I regret that we will have to accelerate his training.”_

Now Cas was glowering. “What you suggest is dangerous. Sam could hurt himself and others. Why would we need such haste?”

Dean glanced at Sam to see that his brother was a little stunned by their mother’s appearance but more so by her insistence on his training.

“ _I wouldn’t endanger Sam unless it was completely necessary. What we are facing here isn’t a mob lord. Azazel is fully Sith and quite powerful. I certainly could not face him.”_ Mary’s arms fold over her chest. Dean notices for the first time that she isn’t dressed in the way that he remembers her. She’s wearing the tan robes of a Jedi.

“A Sith… not with Palpatine?” Cas’s head tilts as he considers this. “That is… unexpected. Though it does explain why he has gained such power and influence without creating a lot of stir.”

Across the room, both Adam and Eileen looks as stunned as Dean felt. “If he didn’t want to create a stir, why take on Mandalore?”

“ _Arrogance, child. He thought he could bring the Mandolorians to heel.”_

Eileen snorts. “He was wrong.”

“ _That he was. Arrogance will be his downfall.”_ Mary turns back to Castiel. “ _You are good. I can tell that battle is your forte and your role will be great in what’s to come, but you won’t beat him. We will need Sam, most of all, if we are to stop him.”_

Both Dean and Castiel begin to talk at once. “Mom, you can’t mean to make Sammy…

“I still don’t think this is a wise course of action. The risks…”

“I’ll do it.” Sam cuts them all off. “Whatever you need me to do, I’ll do it.” He turns to Mary.

She smiles at him. “ _I’m proud of you, Sam. We will take steps in the morning.”_

Cas is glowering at the floor. Dean doesn’t feel any happier about this. “Sammy, think this through. There has to be another way.”

_“There’s not Dean.”_ Mary cuts in. Dean glares at her and she glares back at him. “ _If there was another way, then I would use it.”_ Dean opens his mouth to speak but his mother simply fades away.

The room is silent in her wake.

“What the hell?” Dean lets out his breath with a whoosh of air before he sits heavily down on one of the chairs.

“She does that a lot.” Adam volunteered from the doorway. “I think it takes a lot of energy or something to manifest.”

“Well, that’s one way to win an argument.” Dean runs his fingers through his hair, frustrated and stunned.

“Look, Dean…” Sam started.

Dean doesn’t want to hear it. He doesn’t want to think about any of this. “Just… leave it alone.”

Sam falls away, unwilling to press the issue. Dean doesn’t know if it’s because they have an audience or because they have strangers in the room.

“So…” Adam cuts in, clearly feeling as awkward as everyone else does. “It’s late. There isn’t a lot of room but I’m sure we can find arrangements for everyone.”

“That’s alright man, we can go back to the ship.” Dean doesn’t trust these people.

Sam, however, has other ideas. “I’ll take the couch.”

The brothers glare at each other.

“Whatever. Suit yourself.” Dean gets up and heads to the door. He pauses to clap Cas on the arm. “Are you coming, Cas?”

Cas looks between him and Sam before nodding. “Yes, Dean.”

“See you in the morning, Sammy.” Dean glances at his brother before he leaves, but only sees that Sam is glaring at him. They will have it out sometime soon, he knows that, but right now he simply doesn’t want to go there. He’s at least warmed by the fact that Cas follows him from the house, the Jedi’s hand is on his low back. He can’t remember when Cas started touching him, but he likes it.

When they get to the speeder, Cas goes to the driver’s door. “You need rest, Dean. I don’t need sleep.”

Dean knows he should argue, but he doesn’t. He simply nods as he climbs into the passenger side and lays his head back. “I don’t know, Cas. I thought… she’d be different.”

“Do we ever know our parents when we are children?” Cas points out as he starts the speeder and pilots it out of the snow covered valley.

“I guess not.” Dean knows he’s right; his memories of Mary are largely based on his dreams, not even real memories at all. “Do you remember your parents, Cas?”

“Dimly. Mostly I remember them turning me over to the Master that came to collect me and take me to the Temple.” Cas’s eyes are straight ahead and there is no regret in his voice.

“How old were you?” Dean asks as he draws his knees up into the seat to preserve some warmth.

“5.” Cas glances at him quickly before turning his eyes back to the twisting mountain path. “I don’t remember them so I don’t really miss them, Dean. The Jedi became my family.”

“Well, we are your family now.” Dean says firmly, his eyelids growing heavy. There is silence in the speeder after that and soon, sleep claims Dean.

*****

Dean wakes up when the speeder comes to a halt. He has no clue where they are or how long it’s been. Next to him, Cas is climbing out of the speeder. Dean stretches and finds that he is both stiff and cold. When he gets out, he goes to the Jedi’s side. “Where are we Cas.”

“I’m not sure. It’s the first large town we’ve found. You need rest out of the cold.” He nods to the inn before them and leads the way inside. There is a short negotiation before credits change hands and they are given a key. Having no gear with them, the both just head to the room. Once inside, they find the room is dominated by one large bed.

Cas looks cautiously at Dean. “Is this… okay? The man said they didn’t have many rooms available.”

“Yeah, Cas, it’s fine.” Dean looks at the bed and sits down on the edge. The truth was, it was more than fine. He felt… empty somehow. He’d spent his whole life wanting to know his mom better and now that he’d met her, he finds that she’s willing to put Sammy in danger. A lifetime of protecting his brother railed against it. He didn’t like it. It made his chest ache somehow and he didn’t want to be alone. That was the bottom line.

Without thinking about it, he tossed his coat into a chair, then his shirt followed it. He tossed his boots next to the chair, then rid himself of his pants and socks. A shiver passed over his body. While the room was warmer than it had been outside, there was still a chill in the air. He scrambled under the blankets in just his underwear. Cas stood next to the bed, still wearing the tan coat he insisted on wearing and watching Dean. “Are you just going to stand there all night or are you going to get into bed?” Dean queried as he tucked his arms underneath the blankets.

This seemed to spur the man into motion. He stripped off his coat and laid it over the other chair before going to the heat control unit and adjusting the temperature. Dean was pleased when he heard the heating kick on. He watched from his position all tucked in while Cas stripped himself down to the level that Dean had, then switched off the light before he crawled into bed. The mattress beneath them dipped as Cas settled in next to Dean.

“Are you warm enough, Dean?” Cas scooted a little closer to Dean’s body, which made Dean smile.

“I’m getting there, man.” Dean said, bringing his arms up to his chest as he sought a little more heat. The touch of Cas’s hands against his own caused him to startle, then he felt the warmth from the man’s fingers bleeding out into his own, then radiating down his arms. “I don’t think that will ever get old, Cas.”

“I’m glad you appreciate it.” Cas gave a dry chuckle as his thumbs traced circles over the back of Dean’s hands. Dean knew that this should be enough for him. He understood that with the logical portion of his brain, the one that was trying to separate himself from the events of the day. However, the rest of him felt simply awful. His mother was not as he thought she’d be. Worse, she wasn’t resting peacefully as his father had promised him, but wandering as a spirit bent on some kind of mission. Now Sammy was angry with him and eager to throw himself in danger. There was nothing Dean could do about any of it and that made him frustrated and angry. Underneath it all, however, he was lonely in a way. That was why he was gravitating closer and closer to Cas’s heat next to him.

As if reading Dean’s emotions, Cas’s arms slide around Dean. His fingers were now tracing patterns along Dean’s bare back. “Are you alright, Dean?”

Dean closed his eyes and scooted closer again, so that they were chest to chest. He could feel Cas’s breath on his cheek. He savored it for a moment, letting the silence linger as he thought about the kiss they shared earlier. When Cas’s hands slowed, Dean finally answered. “I don’t know. None of this is what I expected. I don’t know what to think.”

“You should rest now. We can work this problem out in the morning.” Cas’s voice was a low rumble that he felt as well as heard. It was a delicious sound and he knew it shouldn’t go straight to his groin but it did. In all this mess, it seemed that the one solid thing he could cling to was Cas. Right now, he needed just this. The rest of it would wait until morning.

“You’re right.” Dean closed his eyes, willing himself to be good, however, there was an itch in his chest that he couldn’t ignore. He yearned for more. “Cas…?”

“Yes Dean.” Cas snuggled a little closer, which Dean found very promising.

“Can I kiss you?” Dean shifted up so that he now felt Cas’s breath against his lips. Still, he waited for the other man’s answer. It was important to him that Cas want this too.

Instead of answering him, Cas brought their lips together. The contact was warm and sweet to start with, a brushing of lips that became two and then three. Then someone parted their lips and slowly the kiss deepened until Dean found himself tasting Cas’s tongue and his mouth, licking in with a groan as he slid his hands down the Jedi’s back. He thought of nothing more than how much he needed Cas in the moment. The answering groan he got from the Jedi as well as the aggressive push of his tongue against Dean’s was all the answer he needed. For the longest time, he languished in the sharing of their lips, letting the moment evolve and morph on its own, the kisses growing steadily deeper and more passionate until there was more than enough heat between them. Cas’s fingers roamed Dean’s back and sides, his fingertips now hot and his touch trembling with something more than simple curiosity now.

Dean’s hands ran over Cas’s chest, hesitating when his fingertips tripped over one of Cas’s nipples causing a sharp intake of breath from the Jedi. Dean pulled away and tried to look seriously at the other man, but in the dark of the room could make out only some of his features and those were not clear. His fingers paused. “Is this okay, Cas?”

Cas’s answer was slow in coming. “Yes… Dean. I want you to touch me.” He sounded both mystified and yet curious about where the touches were leading.

“If you don’t want something… tell me to stop.” Dean’s voice was low and gruff when he gave his response, his mind already drawn to the joints where their bodies touched.

“I will.” Cas promised. Dean needed to hear no more. His hands came back down where they had left off, circling the nipple that he’d just discovered was sensitive to his touch. Cas squirmed beside him, then gasped aloud when he flicked the flesh. Dean savored the reaction and toyed with it a little more before switching sides and giving the same treatment to its mate. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy the reactions that Cas gave him; he savored every moan and twitch of breath. He yearned to draw more out as his hands slipped further down the other man’s chest and stomach. Cas wasn’t still when Dean touched him either. His fingers kneaded into Dean’s back, drew patterns against his skin and traced further down as well. Dean purred his approval with the touches as he brought his mouth down against Cas’s shoulder. His lips curled in a smile as he tasted the skin there and listened to the pleased rumble as Dean began to kiss his way across. He lost himself to his explorations, eventually leaning back so Cas could do the same to his own chest, until the both of them were panting with heavy need.

“I need something…” Cas murmured, his fingers raking over Dean’s chest. “Please, Dean.” His hips rolled against Dean and he felt the hard shape of arousal against his thigh. Dean shifted minutely and when he rolled back, their hard fleshed dragged against each other. “Dean….” Cas’s hands trembled on Dean’s shoulders.

“I got you, Cas.” Dean whispered, claiming the Jedi’s lips once more as he reached between them. He’d never meant for them to go so far, but with need thrumming through his veins, Dean thought very little about it. His fingers caught into the waistband of Cas’s boxer shorts and tugged them down so the arousal beneath came free. His thumb traced down its length, eliciting a desperate moan from the other man’s throat. “Have you ever touched yourself before, Cas?”

Cas was slow to answer. Dean could almost swear that he could hear him lick his lips before he replied. “I have Dean but… not very often. We aren’t supposed to.”

“Now that’s a shame.” Dean murmured, drawing back in so they could kiss in between his words. “There’s so much you can do with just your hands. Let me show you.” He wrapped his fingers around Cas’s cock and began to stroke, slowly at first, but as the Jedi moaned into his mouth, he gained more speed. He nipped Cas’s lower lip with his teeth, his own body rutting into Cas’s hip, the friction against his own dick creating a low burn in the pit of his stomach. It was enough for now. “Tell me how you like it Cas. Let me make you feel good.”

Cas took him at his word and covered Dean’s hand with his own. “Tighter.. here.” He breathed, and when Dean did as he was told was rewarded with the thrust of Cas’s cock into his hand. “Yes... like that.”  Dean swallowed the moan with his lips as he stroked, experimenting as he went to find what it was that drove the other man wild.

Cas tore his mouth away from Dean’s, his breath ragged. “Let me… can I touch you?”

Dean shifted his body to give Cas easy access. “By all means. I want your hands on me, Cas.” The Jedi wasted no time at all in divesting Dean of his underwear and wrapping his fingers around his cock. The strokes were inexperienced but eager.  More, Cas was a quick study and soon had picked up what it was Dean needed to become a writhing mess. It wasn’t long at all before Dean felt as strung out and needy as Cas sounded and he drew himself from Cas’s hand. When the man whimpered, he kissed the sound away. He stroked his own cock a few times to slick his hand with precome, then slotted their bodies together so he could wrap his hand around both of their cocks. Cas groaned the moment the silken heat of their arousals touched and within moments he was thrusting against Dean’s body and into his hand.

“That’s it, Cas… that’s it.” Dean murmured in the moments before talking became too much. Then their motion became erratic as the need to come grew until first one, then the other fell over that edge. Cas came first, though only seconds before Dean; it seemed that the feeling of hot come over his fingers and the sound of pure pleasure that came from those lips was all that Dean needed to pour himself out the same way that Cas had. They lay in the dark, panting and curled together until their heart rates slowed and their bodies cooled. Dean finally heaved himself out of the bed to go into the bathroom for a washcloth to clean them both up. The moment he was done, he tossed it aside and returned to curl into Cas’s arms.

“That was wonderful, Dean.” There was wonder in Cas’s voice when he spoke and Dean didn’t know what to make of it. He knew that it had been the Jedi’s first time and he’d wanted to make it good for him.

“I’m glad, Cas.” He said finally, ducking his head because he didn’t know what else to say.

“Thank you.” Cas’s lips touched Dean’s so he leaned into the kiss, letting it linger for long moments before Cas pulled away. “You should rest.”

Dean wanted to argue, but then a huge yawn creaked his jaw and he simply nodded and let himself relax in the Jedi’s arms. “Night, Cas.”

“Goodnight, Dean.”

*****

Castiel lay in the dark, listening to Dean sleep for a long time. He’d heard that touching another’s body and being touched in return was gratifying, but the concept was a pale shadow in comparison to the reality. He’d known he’d wanted Dean though he’d not truly understood it until the man had put his hands upon his flesh and had shown him what it truly was to desire. He should be disturbed. He knew this. It was contrary to everything he’d ever been taught but as he lay next to Dean in the dark, he could see no fault here. There was nothing but warmth in his chest at the moment and when he’d orgasmed earlier… that had been sublime. The pinnacle of pleasure he’d reached had outstripped the feeling of being completely in tune with the Force. Cas hoped that Dean would show him more and soon.

Knowing all of this, he knew that it wasn’t the pleasure of the flesh that would lead a Jedi awry. It was the other feelings that he experienced along with it. The warmth he felt for Dean grew deeper by the day, until it was hard to imagine a life without the man. He’d felt something similar when Mary had insisted they put Sam in danger – it had been different than what he felt for Dean, but strong nonetheless. These emotions ran deep; a caring he’d never known before. Castiel understood that he must be careful with them, that balance between them would be the key. He could do that. He promised himself that he would do that, for himself and for Dean because right now, he never wanted to let the other man go.


	16. Light under snow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “She knows more than she’s telling us Sam.” Dean cut in, continuing when Sam turned his glare on to him. “I hate to think it too but why would she put you at risk?”
> 
> “Because she knows I can do this, Dean.” Sam’s voice was hot and his hands clenched the saber. “I _can_ do this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today is the 40th anniversary of Star Wars. Of course I have a chapter today! (Also, there's more smut.)

Sam woke the next morning with a crick in his neck from sleeping on the couch. His knees and back also ached from being curled up for the night. Behind him he could hear someone moving around the kitchen and gave up trying to sleep. He’d gotten maybe 4 hours of sleep; that might be enough for Dean but it wasn’t enough for him. He sat up and yawned, then proceeded to stretch his arms and legs and back. He was just about to stand up when a chuckle from behind him caught his attention. He turned around to find the mandalorian leaning in the kitchen doorway with her hip cocked against the door frame and a steaming mug of coffee in her hand. Her dark eyes danced as she watched him, seemingly finding amusement in his discomfort. Sam swallowed down a feeling of embarrassment and tried a smile. Today she smiled back though the expression was a little thin.

“Good morning.” He said, nodding to her as he came around the couch.

She looked up him, taking her time and clearly appreciating the view. Sam felt his cheeks color, it had clearly been awhile. “Good morning.” Her voice had that slight slur that he took to mean that she was deaf however, it was clear to him that she could read lips… or something. She cocked an eyebrow at him as she stepped out of his way to let him past her. She moved with the easy grace of someone who was both confident and used to fighting. “There’s coffee.”

Sam stepped into the kitchen but instead of moving past her, he stood across from her. He was aware that she knew who he was, however, he had no clue what her name was. He decided to press the issue, after all, they were going to work together. “I’m Sam.”

“I know, Sam.” She drawled out his name, as if tasting it on her tongue.

Sam felt his cheeks heat again and realized that he had no clue if she was toying with him or flirting with him. Maybe both? He forced himself that take a breath so he wouldn’t get too frustrated. “Alright. Can I ask who you are?”

The woman across from him laughs. “You can.” She makes no move to offer him anything more.

Sam had heard that mandalorians could be frustrating to work with because of their strict code of honor and were confident to the point of arrogance. All of these things were proving to be true. He debated whether or not to press the issue; his jaw clenching slightly. In general, Sam was pretty good at keeping his cool so it was odd that she was getting under his skin. He told himself that it was too early for this conversation, at least without coffee and gave a shrug. “Good thing Dean’s not here, he’d give you an obnoxious nickname.” With that, he turned to the coffee pot and poured himself a cup. He leaned against the counter, his eyes losing focus as he stared into the coffee cup. He felt muzzy from lack of sleep as his senses wandered.

His senses stretched out over the cottage itself. He knew that Adam was just stirring from bed. He couldn’t hear the boy but he simply knew he was waking up. He could feel a pull in the Force too, it swayed in and out of his senses in the front room of the cottage. He wondered if that was his mother. He wished Dean or Cas was there. Sam was wondering where the other two were when a sharp warning tugged at his senses and he shot his hand out, deftly catching the hand of mandalorian woman in what appeared to be mid-poke. He’d never glanced up from his coffee. When he did look up he found surprise written across her features. He raised an eyebrow. “What the hell?”

“You weren’t paying attention and you don’t know me.” She shrugged, unconcerned. “I thought it odd that you would let me catch you unaware.”

Sam felt his annoyance rise but then simmered back down again. “Clearly you were mistaken.”

“Clearly.” She grinned at him, then picked up the coffee pot and refreshed both of their cups. “Eileen Leahy.”

Sam returned her smile without meaning to. “Nice to meet you Eileen.”

She nodded in response and caught his eyes with her own. Whatever she was going to say to him was lost as Adam came into the kitchen. “Is that coffee?”

Sam pulled down a mug and filled it for his half-brother. “Yeah.”

“Thanks.” Adam took the mug and began to add cream and sugar. “Is there food?”

“No.” Eileen said then made herself scarce from the kitchen.

“Neither of us are good at cooking.” Adam admitted sheepishly to Sam.

Sam shook his head and opened the door to the cooler and began to rummage around. “What did you do for food before we got here?”

“Suffered.” Adam answered honestly.

Sam drew out ingredients to make omelets; there was simple ingredients though no vegetables as he would have liked. He huffed out a laugh as he began to beat the eggs. “It’s too bad Dean got pissy. He’s a much better cook than I am.”

“Oh well. I’m sure he’ll come around… hopefully by lunch time.” Adam said as he plopped down at the table to wait for breakfast.

Eileen turned up at the table the moment food was placed on it though at least she offered to clean up the dishes. The meal itself had been pleasant with Adam facilitating most of the conversation, which he seemed to be particularly good at. Sam learned that Eileen was directly from the planet Mandalore and had been raised to be a mandalorian warrior despite her disability. She had a tendency to ask more than she answered so Sam considered any information about her a victory.

They were stirring from the table when Sam felt a strong shift in the Force, which was something like having his ears pop repeatedly. When he looked up, his mother stood before him, transparent and glowing a faint blue.

“ _Sam.”_

“Good morning, Mom.” Sam nodded to her, though he wasn’t sure what else to say. He had been a baby when his mother died and so did not remember her.

Mary seemed unoffended. “ _Where is Dean?”_

“Um… he got mad and left. He’ll probably be back later.” Sam explained, watching her expression carefully.

Her expression never changed from its mild serenity. Sam was beginning to find it strange. “ _His father’s temper, I see. I’m sure you are right.”_ She turned her eyes to him. “ _We don’t really have time to wait. If you are still willing, then come with me.”_

“Sure.” Sam finished the coffee in his cup and placed it aside before walking from the kitchen and then the cottage, following his mother. He found it strange that she didn’t disappear in the sunlight. He glanced behind them and found both Eileen and Adam on the porch, watching as they walked away. “Where are we going?”

Mary turned and caught his eye. “It’s not far, Sam.” She resumed walking.

Sam hurried to catch up and walk by her side. He wanted to say something, however, nothing came as they walked.

Mary, it seemed, felt the same. “ _You have no idea how much I’ve wanted to see you.”_

“So why didn’t you?” Sam had a feeling that Force ghosts weren’t bound in place. Surely she could have found them by now.

_“At first, I wanted to stay away from John. It was clear that his heart was broken and seeing me would only hurt him. I didn’t want that.”_ She seemed to be considering her next words carefully. “ _After your father died, you boys moved so fast that it was hard to find you. I can’t exactly use the holonet and I’ve never been good at using the Force to find people. It was pure luck that I found Adam when I did.”_

“How did you find him?”

_“He came here looking for John. I have always stayed close to this place. I was happiest here.”_ She glanced wistfully over her shoulder at the cottage which was growing smaller in the distance. They were getting nearer and nearer to the base of one of the mountains that surrounded this valley when Mary stopped short. _“It’s here somewhere.”_

All Sam could see was unmarked snow. “What are we looking for?”

“ _Reach out with the Force. You’ll know it when you feel it.”_ Mary instructed.

Sam glanced at her, then looked down at the snow and decided he was not going go into a full trance so he didn’t have to sit in the snow. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the Force. He felt pleased the moment that it sprang up to him and filled his senses. He considered it, thinking about their surroundings until he felt something tugging at him. He took one, then two steps towards it.

“ _Good. Keep going.”_ Mary insisted.

Sam followed her lead and kept walking through the snow as he followed the pull through the Force. It got stronger and stronger until he was certain he was standing on top of it. “Here.”

“ _Dig.”_

Sam gave her a hard look before doing as he was commanded, first kicking away the snow then tackling the frozen ground. He wondered why she hadn’t told him to bring a damn shovel. He was glad that he had his utility belt with him, which was well stocked with small items that came in handy when one pursued a living smuggling. He had a small blow torch that helped him thaw the ground. When he finished with that, a hand tapped his shoulder. Sam startled to see Eileen there, holding a shovel and looking a little pleased with herself.

When she offered it to him, Sam shot her a chagrined look. He had no idea he would be digging, but it seemed the mandalorian had been prepared for such an eventuality. One point to her. He took the shovel and began to dig. He could still feel whatever it was pulling at his senses so he kept at it. He’d dug nearly three feet down into the ground when the shovel hit something with a metallic ting. He put the shovel aside and began to scrape aside the dirt until he could get his fingers around a long cylinder that was buried there. It took him about ten minutes in total to unearth the thing, then he spent a few long moments digging the caked up dirt from it. He was stunned when he realized what it was. In his hands, Sam was holding a lightsaber, however it was twice as long as the one that Cas used. He looked up at Mary curiously.

“ _It was mine and now it’s yours, Sam.”_

*****

Dean woke slowly, largely because he was wrapped in warmth and found that he didn’t want to move. He could dimly remember the freezing cold of the night before and Cas taking his hands to make him warm again. Then the rest of the evening filtered back into his awareness. His eyes shot open and the first thing he saw was Cas, his eyes were still closed in sleep so his dark lashes rested on his cheeks. In sleep, all his features smoothed out and became relaxed, Dean had never truly thought about how tense the Jedi always looked until he saw him without the lines on his forehead and around his eyes when he squinted. He’d never even asked how old the other man was. He wouldn’t do it now. Right now, he was wrapped up in the other man’s arms, their legs tangled comfortably together. It didn’t matter that the day was calling either, Dean could ignore it a little while longer to savor the heat between their bodies.

Peace washed over Dean and for a long time, he didn’t let himself think of anything else until finally, the rest of the events that occurred the previous day came back to him. His mom. Sam. When he remembered what his mother had planned for Sam, he finally could lay abed no longer. The moment he shifted, Cas’s eyes opened and where on him.

“Good morning, Dean.”

Dean savored the way the rumble of Cas’s voice traveled down his spine and did things to him that no voice should do to a man. “’Morning, Sunshine.” Cas smiled one his true, warm smiles that lit his eyes and showed his teeth. Dean loved those smiles and spent a lot of time just trying to earn them.

“Do we need to get up?” Beside him, Cas stretched and the movement of his body brought with it a shift that reminded the both of them that they were still naked. Cas seemed to be sporting a raging case of morning wood.

Just the thought alone made Dean half hard and he wanted nothing more than to rut against Cas. How long would it take for them to come that way? Surely they had time for that. Thought became deed and Dean’s fingers settled on Cas’s hip to pull him in closer. He was pleased when the Jedi’s breath hitched. “We should… but…” He arched his hips against Cas’s, pressing his growing erection against Cas’s hip.

“Mmmm.” Cas hummed and followed the motion with a subtle movement of body that brought their lengths together so heated flesh met. The next roll of hips filled Dean’s senses with nothing but the silken glide of skin and the hot wet of precome. It was Dean who groaned next.

Logically, Castiel knew that this was something that was inherently forbidden. There were no Jedi laws or bylaws that allowed for the pleasures of the flesh. He was almost shocked with how easy it was to simply override a lifetimes worth of teaching with a single thought. The Jedi were gone and he could have this; have Dean to himself in these stolen moments. The pressure of the waiting world hardly mattered when compared to the dizzying pleasure that crossed his senses with that first movement. He reciprocated, meeting Dean with a thrust of his own so the hot motion of their bodies didn’t end. He curled his hand around the back of Dean’s neck to pull their lips together.

It wasn’t like the other kisses they’d shared before, this started with a tangle of tongues and panting breaths. It was deep and hot and desperate, matching the way their bodies strained together. He couldn’t say for sure who sped the rhythm they created; only that It had been not enough before and now it was filling his senses with heady pleasure, his body tight and aching with need already. Dean seemed no better, he moaned and whimpered and gasped. Cas wanted nothing more than to pull each sound from those lips and more, to languish in them until they both were sated.

“Cas…” Dean panted against the Jedi’s lips then his thighs flexed and he turned the Jedi onto his back. He felt a moment of triumph when he saw the surprise reflected in those blue eyes before he dipped his head down to claim those lips; his body taking control and pushing them both harder and faster. He could already feel the need to come twisting in his gut and while he bemoaned that it would happen so soon, he accepted it when he saw that Cas was no better. He drew back and truly looked at the man. Cas was completely wrecked beneath him, rising to meet his hips with pupils blown wide. Dean could feel the constant leak of precome from both of them and decided not to draw it out any longer. There would be time for more later. With a decisive shift, he swept down again, his tongue dragging over Cas’s skin where shoulder met neck, sucking a mark. Cas squirmed beneath him, his hands grasping Dean’s hips and holding him still so he could thrust up beneath him over and over again. The sudden power of those hands and the loss of control sent a shudder of deep want and need so deeply that Dean felt himself spilling over the edge and he bit down into Cas’s shoulder hard as the orgasm took him.

Cas felt the splash of Dean’s come between their bodies and had a fleeting wish that he could have seen the pleasure wash over Dean’s face when the sudden grind of Dean’s teeth brought a flash of pain and a resulting roll of pleasure to wash over him. He crashed into orgasm so suddenly that a startled shout burst past his lips and then he was pumping out come to mix with Dean’s between them. His vision whited out as he went limp on the bed. They moved together through the pleasure, working it out of each other before Dean became a loose, heavy weight on top of him. Cas couldn’t bring himself to care. He turned his head to draw his lips across Dean’s cheek, tasting sweat and skin. “You are beautiful.”

Dean’s cheeks colored. “Guys aren’t beautiful, Cas.”

“You are.” Cas’s hands roamed lightly over Dean’s back as he accepted the weight of Dean’s body. He was disappointed when Dean moved a short breath later.

“Come on. We’ve got things to do. Mostly keeping Mom from getting Sam killed.” Dean got up and grabbed Castiel’s arm to drag him towards the shower.

Castiel sobered immediately. “You are right.” He let himself be led into the shower. He had a feeling that they were both in for a struggle that day.

*****

The shower had been pleasant, more than pleasant actually because the two of them had been pressed into a small space which meant that they’d showered chest to back. There had been a lot of touching and the slide of slick skin as they washed. There may or may not have been a good deal of making out as well, but the water went cold before it went anywhere else. Before long at all they were dressed and back in the speeder heading towards the cottage where they met with Mary and Adam.

“Why do you think Mom wants to do this?” Dean asked as they sped over the snowy landscape, already halfway up the winding path. “To Sammy, I mean. You said it yourself, this could hurt him. Why would she do that to her son?”

Dean glanced to his right and could see Cas, his brow wrinkled as he thought. He answered slowly. “Who knows what happens after Death, Dean? I had always though that being one with the Force would be peaceful but I have gathered that your mother has known no peace.”

Dean sighed, resisting the urge to draw a hand through his hair in frustration. “Is it revenge then?”

Cas touched his shoulder. “I have never had much luck in sensing what is in the hearts of others.”

“We’ll just have to find out the old fashioned way.” Dean returned back to driving and they passed the rest of the journey in silence, each caught in their own thoughts.

When they emerged into the tiny valley, Dean could barely make out forms moving outside the cottage across the distance. They grew clearer the closer that he got to them, until he could tell that Sam was standing further from the other two (whom he presumed were Adam and the Mandalorian) and seemed to be working on something. He had no idea what it was and still couldn’t figure it out until they were nearly upon them. He seemed to be holding a long object and shaking it in frustration. Behind him, Adam frowned in frustration and the woman was trying to hide laughter.  They stopped the speeder and got out.

“What the hell is that thing, Sammy?” Dean asked as he swaggered over to his brother, silently thankful that his mother did not seem to be present at the moment.

It was Cas that answered. “A lightsaber. A double unless I’ve missed my guess.”

Sam clearly ground his teeth in frustration. “It doesn’t work.” He leveled the thing out and seemed to be concentrating. Gold sparks flickered out of one end then died. Sam sighed in frustration.

Cas was standing with his arms crossed. “That’s because you aren’t ready, Sam. It can take some Jedi years before they can focus enough to create a saber.”

Sam glared at the Jedi. “How old were you?”

Cas glanced away.

“How old, Cas?” Sam demanded.

“Six… but I was told that I’m a quick study and that battle come naturally to me.” Cas appeared to be chagrined by this fact. “Honestly, it was an accident and I got in a good deal of trouble.”

“You had an accident.” Sam was still gritting his teeth. “I have been trying for hours and have got nothing but sparks.”

“Sparks are very good, Sam.” Cas seemed immune to Sam’s glare. Dean was impressed because Sam had the bitch face turned up to 11.

“Mom said that I need to do this by the end of the evening.” Sam looked helplessly at the inert handle.

Cas folded his arms across his chest, his eyes hard and his expression neutral. “Your mother may very well be wrong, Sam. This plan seems desperate. Moreover, she’s shared none of the end game.”

“She knows more than she’s telling us Sam.” Dean cut in, continuing when Sam turned his glare on to him. “I hate to think it too but why would she put you at risk?”

“Because she knows I can do this, Dean.” Sam’s voice was hot and his hands clenched the saber. “I _can_ do this.”

“Of course you can, Sam.” Cas said, his voice calm as always but also a little placating. “But it’s not easy no matter what your mother told you.” He circled Sam, pausing behind him to lay his hands on the younger man’s shoulder, his fingers biting into the tension he found there. “You know that you can’t make the Force come to you and you will need it here most of all. This is why I have not set you to this task. It takes you time to reach for it still.”

Sam tensed when Cas touched him, but then rolled his shoulders and relaxed. Cas let him go and finished the circuit around until he stood before Sam again.

“Will you help me, Master?” Sam looked up at the Jedi with what Dean could only deem puppy dog eyes. He wouldn’t have been able to withstand it.

Apparently Cas couldn’t either. His shoulders slumped. “I still think this is a bad idea.”

“But you’ll help.” Sam perked up, eyes shining as he thrust the saber handle towards Cas.

With a sigh, the Jedi took the saber handle and leveled it before his body. There was barely a second before one of the ends shot forth a saber of golden light and then merely seconds, the other end did the same.

“How am I ever going to do that?” Sam was watching the weapon in amazement before both ends hissed out and Cas thrust the saber back to him.

“We’ll start with just one blade and go from there.” Cas tucked a hand under Sam’s elbow and drew him further from the cottage. “I suspect we will both have a headache before the day is done.”

Dean knew Cas was right. He sat on the porch of the little cottage and watched Cas and Sam work. Eventually Adam and the Mandalorian (named Eileen he’d come to find out) got bored and went back into the cottage. It was only Dean who watched as Sam concentrated, tried and failed again and again. The sun spun over the valley, they paused for lunch and then continued on. Dean was exhausted just watching them and as the shadows grew long, he thought Sam would never get there. The sun set and still they worked at it until Dean’s eyes were bleary and he would have been nodding off it the cold hadn’t been working its way into his bones. When he couldn’t stand it any longer, he stood up and started to walk towards them and that’s when Sam finally got it. The saber in his hand lit first from one end and then finally the other. It stayed lit for about ten seconds before sputtering out and leaving them with darkness.

Sam spun around with pure joy in his eyes. “I did it! Dean! Did you see? I did it!”

“I did see. That was awesome, Sammy!” Dean pulled his brother into a hug and patted his back. “I’m freezing my balls off here. Can we go inside? Maybe eat some dinner?”

Sam blinked at Dean in surprise. “Uh… sure, Dean.”

Beside Sam, Castiel burst into laughter. “Dinner it is. Tomorrow will be another day and equally exhausting.”


	17. Becoming Jedi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Are you a Jedi yet?” Eileen’s voice came from somewhere behind the couch and just as this morning, her words instantly got under his skin.
> 
> Sam shot a dark look at her. “I’d like to see you try.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait. My energy has been flagging a bit over the last couple of weeks. Hopefully I'm back into the swing of things.

Once inside the cottage, the smell of burning food becomes evident. Dean brushes by Sam to see what is going on in the kitchen. Sam pauses and watches with some amusement as both Adam and Eileen are shooed out of the kitchen.  They filter into the living room where Sam flops onto the couch, panting slightly. He was more exhausted than he thought he would be.  He felt as if he’d run a marathon. His head hurt and every muscle in his body ached. Across from the couch, Cas dropped into a comfortable looking chair looking as if he were equally as tired. The Jedi laid his head back against the head rest and closed his eyes. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking. Adam came around and sat on the opposite end of the couch from Sam.

“You guys look beat.” The young man noted.

Sam sighed and resisted the urge to lie down, even though he knew the couch was uncomfortable. “Yeah, I had no idea how hard this would be.”

“Are you a Jedi yet?” Eileen’s voice came from somewhere behind the couch and just as this morning, her words instantly got under his skin.

Sam shot a dark look at her. “I’d like to see you try.”

She raised an eyebrow at him, her lips curving into a smile as she gave him a consenting nod. “No, thank you. I know my limits.”

“I haven’t met mine yet.” Sam snorted and told himself that he shouldn’t worry about the bounty hunter. He had no idea why she got to him so easily. He had no reason to impress her, but underneath it all, he knew he wanted to.  It made no sense. He should think about it and figure it out; however, he was tired and so took a page out of Dean’s book and left it alone.

“Will this take much longer?” She asked her voice neutral.

Sam had no clue if she was taunting him or not without seeing her face, but at the moment, he couldn’t be bothered to turn around. If she needed to mock him, then she could go ahead and do it.

It was Cas that answered. “It will take as long as it takes. An uncontrolled lightsaber will only cause harm, not only to Sam but likely those who fight alongside of him as well, so it behooves us to allow him the time to grasp the process.” Cas’s eyes opened and Sam assumed he was looking at Eileen simply because of the cool expression. “It should be impossible for him to do this at all so he’s doing quite well, all things considered.”

Eileen sighed behind them. “It’s galling to wait. The longer we wait, the more harm Azazel does.”

That surprised him. He’d assumed based on what was said last night that Eileen’s reasons for hunting Azazel were personal ones. Now Sam found himself wondering exactly who it was that she didn’t want to see harmed. Was it the people of Mandalore? The sheer arrogance that would be required to attack Mandalore and expect to get away with it was staggering.  Azazel was either very stupid or very powerful. He wanted to ask but he remembered her answer to Dean’s question about it last night. He had a feeling he’d have to earn her trust before she shared that detail with them. That could take forever, Mandalorians weren’t known for being trusting.

“It’s better to go prepared than to waste time and resources attempting something that is doomed to fail.” Cas closed his eyes again and resumed resting. “Human resources are not so easily replaced.”

Eileen grunted, presumably in agreement.

Dean popped his head into the living room from the kitchen. “You people are savages. There’s barely any food in here.” He disappeared again, muttering.

Adam glanced at Sam. “Dean isn’t what I was expecting.”

Sam grinned at his half-brother. “Yeah, but he’s a good brother.”

*****

They ate a meal of hamburgers and fries that Dean had scrounged up from the refrigerator, however, when he left that night, he was grumbling about needing to bring supplies if they were going to continue trying to feed 5 people in that tiny kitchen. That night when they got back to their rented room, Cas had been so tired that he fell into bed and was asleep within seconds. So much for Jedi not needing to sleep. Dean didn’t begrudge Cas his need for rest and simply climbed into bed with him for the night. This set precedence for the next several days. They got up, showered and went to the cottage where Sam and Cas spent the rest of the day training with the lightsabers. Every day Sam made improvement from being able to keep it on by the end of the second day, able to swing it the third day, and by the fifth day, he was able to fight fairly well with it. (He still occasionally lost the blade when he failed to block an attack and was hit.)

Every day, Eileen became more eager to leave. Mary was the same to some extent. She tried her hand at teaching Sam to use the lightsaber, but her focus was more on how to fight with it rather than how to keep it on.  She left the practical matters to Cas, and took to drilling Sam into the night. Dean began to stay late to make them stop because otherwise she would have worked Sam into utter exhaustion or worse. He had never expected that his mother would be this way; driven in a way that reminded him of their father though she lacked the harsh words and unforgiving attitude. It was still nothing like what he remembered and that disturbed him. Cas had told him that there was all manner of things that could have changed her, including the manner of her death, which was unknown to both of them. As such, Dean kept a close eye on her and Sam, holding tightly to his role as Sammy’s protector. 

Dean also noticed that the Mandalorian had taken an interest in Sam and often stood on the porch of the cottage while Sam and Cas practiced with the lightsabers. She was fairly standoffish when Dean talked to her, however, when Sam spoke to Eileen she at least answered, often teasing his little brother into frustration. If he hadn’t known better, he would have thought that the woman had a crush on Sam but for a tough Mandalorian warrior that seemed a bit much to believe.  Of course, she seemed to like Adam well enough though that seemed to be a big sister sort of deal. 

Dean honestly had little to do while Sam and Cas did their daily training so Dean alternated between checking in with Charlie on the ship and getting to know Adam. The first thing that he noticed was that Adam had clearly not spent a lot of time around their father and what little time he had spent with the man had been unlike anything Dean had known. The John Winchester Dean had known most of his life had been a hard, unforgiving man who wanted everything done his way and who wanted nothing to do with the trivialities of raising a pair of young sons. He’d forced Dean to grow up too soon in order to care for his younger brother, and then faulted Dean for the things he’d learned to accomplish this task. (Like cooking, his father had told him that real men didn’t like cooking. Well, fuck him. Dean liked it.)

The John Winchester Adam knew had been protective and took Adam to do fun things that he’d never taken Sam or Dean to do. He had sheltered Adam, keeping him and his mother away from the ugliness of the galaxy. Dean felt a keen stab of jealousy when he and Adam talked about it. What was so different about this kid, exactly? Still, looking into Adam’s open and honest face, Dean couldn’t take it out on the kid. It wasn’t his fault that their Dad had treated Sam and Dean as little soldiers in his personal war rather than children. The end result of that decision had left them unprepared so Adam’s mother was dead and the boy living on the run from an enemy he couldn’t fathom. No wonder Eileen treated the kid like a younger brother; he needed someone to protect him.

Protecting Adam, it turned out, was something Eileen had done well. It seemed that he’d been with the bounty hunter for almost a year now and in that time she had taught him skills such as blaster firing, hand to hand combat, and a how to care for guns and ammunition. The kid turned out to be a damn good shot with a long ranged blaster rifle and had the makings of a decent sniper. Dean made a note to give the kid a good sight (he had two on the ship). Dean filled in some gaps in his knowledge while kicking around the place. Mostly he showed the kid a second way to fight – mostly the kind of dirty fighting that exists in cantina brawls and back alleys. This seemed to help the days pass and Adam seemed to enjoy getting the attention from at least one of his real brothers.

Back on the ship, it seemed that Charlie was researching her little brains out and daily she sent them an update on what she’d learned about Azazel. This had impressed Eileen so much that she actually willingly communicated to Charlie at length through instant messaging on the datapad. The two seemed to be comparing notes which meant that Charlie could add in everything that Eileen knew which appeared to be a considerable amount. While Eileen didn’t share with him, it seemed that his treatment of Adam had gone a long way to thawing her attitude towards him. Dean was beginning to think that once they got Sammy up to speed, they all had a fair chance of trusting each other enough to take on Azazel, even if that trust wasn’t complete. If nothing else, then the time it took for Sam to train gave them time to build that trust, and while that wasn’t Dean’s usual method of operating, he was glad that he could do something to help them along. They were going to need all the help they could get.

It was yet another full week before what they’d all be waiting for happened. Dean had been in the kitchen putting their dinner together when Adam came running in and dragged him out by the arm. Eileen was already on the porch and his mother was there too. Out in the fields, Sam and Cas were practicing as they’d been for the last two weeks. This time was different. Their sabers moved so fast that they were tracers of light that were hard to track with the eyes. The loud crack and sizzle of energy that happened when the two sabers touched was practically a constant in the valley. Moreover, it wasn’t just sabers – they were going all out with other attacks: kicks, punches, and rocks thrown with the Force. What was amazing was that Sam was keeping up with Cas and holding his ground.

“They’ve been at it for fifteen minutes already.” Eileen said without looking at him. Her eyes were riveted on the field.

“I never dreamed he’d do so well.” Mary whispered her form flickering blue in the fading light of the evening.

It was hard to see the figure before them, but something happened, a subtle snap and the blue light was suddenly gone. Cas had lost his saber. Sam pressed the advantage but in the next breath both green sabers winked out as well and the two men grappled for another few moments before it became clear that it was over.

The porch was silent as Sam and Cas made their way back to them.

“Who won?” Adam asked the moment they were in earshot.

“Neither.” Cas said, his voice wearing as he emerged from the dark. His saber was clipped to his belt as it had been for days. He moved with a deadly grace that had emerged as he’d settled more and more into the role of Jedi he was accustomed to. Dean had started to appreciate that grace with a hunger that sometimes surprised him.

“It was a tie.” Sam’s voice sounded awed as he said it. The joy was clear on his face, though he too seemed just as tired as Cas.

“I think I’ve taught him as much as I can. He needs real combat experience now.” Cas walked up the steps to the porch and stopped next to Dean, leaning into his side.

“He will have to get it as we travel then.” Mary said definitively. “It’s time to leave Alderaan.”

Silence settled over the group as they each took in the fact and wondered what the future would hold.

“I’ll contact Charlie.” Dean turned and went into the kitchen, aware that Cas was following behind him. “We’ll leave in the morning.

*****

The morning went without much fanfare or conflict. Everyone was packed and ready. Eileen had been hiding a speeder somewhere in the valley so she and Adam didn’t have to cram into the small rented speeder that Dean and Cas have been using. Dean was a little sad to be leaving Alderaan. While meeting his mom and Sam’s accelerated training had been tough, there had been a little more time for himself and Cas to spend together. Despite having fallen into bed early the night before, this morning Cas had been eager to shower with Dean. There had been a rousing blow job lesson in which Dean had demonstrated and Cas had shown Dean what he’d learned. It turned out that Cas was a quick learner.

The flight back was just as long as it had been the first time they had done it, however, it was less cold because the sun had risen and taken the chill out of the air. Dean would not miss the cold. Sam sat next to him in the speeder, mildly grumbling about something Eileen had said to him that morning. This has become pretty typical and Dean ignores it in favor of paying attention to the site of Aldera before them while he broods over where they will go next and what will happen. He has no connection to the Force and can’t claim Jedi senses but he has a bad feeling about what is before them. Taking on Azazel was never something that Dean would have chosen to do on his own, in fact, he’d always hated it when his Father took jobs from that madman though now it was looking more and more as if the old man had done it to get closer to someone whom he’d seen as an enemy. _What the hell had the old man being doing at the end?_  Dean was sure that whatever he had been doing, it not only had gotten him killed but had landed his sons in this mess.

They found Charlie waiting for them at the ship. She promptly hugged everyone, including both Adam and Eileen. The Mandalorian accepted the hug with a bemused air but did, in fact, accept it. Cas even hugged Charlie back this time. It seemed that there was no one in the galaxy that Charlie couldn’t make friends with. She got to Dean last.

“Ready for this?” She whispered in his ear as she hugged him. “The hard part is coming.”

“I know.” He murmured in return, wondering exactly how Charlie knew how worried he was about the prospects of what was to come.

They moved onto the ship and spent a few minutes getting everyone’s stuff into rooms. Eileen accepted staying with Charlie without much trouble and Adam seemed thrilled to be staying with Sam. The young man clearly had some hero worship for his Jedi-to-be older brother. Once everyone was settled, Charlie called them all into the common room.

“While you guys were out freezing your asses off, I spent ages tracking what the hell Azazel is up to.” Charlie was leaning against the bar near the kitchen. They officially didn’t have enough seating for what was now the ship’s crew. Both Dean and Cas were standing as well. (Of course, Dean would never admit that his Baby wasn’t sufficient to meet their needs. They just needed a couple of damn chairs.)

Charlie went on. “I had no idea how far Azazel’s reach had spread. It’s true that he’s taking over syndicates but he’s so secretive about it that I doubt anyone but Crowley has noticed. He doesn’t confront them directly but sends one of his people in to join the syndicate. His moles rise through the ranks and eventually challenge the leaders for control. Once they’ve got control of the syndicate, all orders come from Azazel. He is everywhere now.”

“Is he what Mary said? A Sith?” Adam asks from his seat at the Dejarik table. He seems particularly nervous and is looking around. Perhaps he’s worried that Force ghost will turn up.

“That’s even harder to confirm.” Charlie answered as she booted up her devices, the blue screen springing to life in front of her face. “There are rumors that abound about him, but they range from him being immortal to eating babies. It’s the standard fair, mostly. Of course, there’s this.” She pulled up a screen for all of them to see. A grainy security video played, showing a dark haired man beating a cowering person. As the person is tossed aside, the man glances towards the camera. For a second, his eyes flash yellow. Charlie stops the footage. “My understanding is that this can happen with use of the dark side, but I’m not an expert.” She glances towards Cas.

“It can, but this isn’t confirmation. It would be a mistake to believe this is confirmation.” Cas looked thoughtful as he stared at the screen that Charlie showed them, which is paused on the frame with Azazel’s yellow eyes.

“So we withhold judgement.” Charlie said, waving the extra screen away. “So, what I do know is that there is someone who may know more about Azazel and have some advice. She’s been managing to keep his people away from her establishment reliably.”

“Who is this person?” Sam asked from one of the barstools.

It was Eileen who answered. “Maz Kanata.”

Dean snorted. “She’s staunchly neutral. Wouldn’t this necessitate taking a side?”

Eileen shrugged but her eyes were sharp. “Not if he’s actively trying to encroach onto what’s hers.”

Dean waves his hand, conceding the point.

Charlie grinned to the room. “I understand that she has a good relationship with Eileen and likes Mandalorians. We have an in. We’ll try to exploit it and see what happens from there.”


	18. The Force is My Guide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Sam will be fine.” Mary insists. “He has good senses.” 
> 
> Cas finds himself gritting his teeth in frustration. He has no clue why Mary is so insistent on this, particularly when the stakes are so high. Her comment, however, gives him an idea. “Why don’t we see what Sam’s senses can tell us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the wait on this chapter. I've had a bit of a block with it and I've been working like crazy. I am already working on next chapter so maybe it'll be faster? That's the goal anyways. Enjoy!

“Going into a battle of this magnitude blind is reckless beyond reason!” Castiel glared at the flickering blue image of Mary Winchester before him. He’d been told that his glare was suitably intimidating but it was currently having no effect on Mary.

“The longer you wait on this, the greater the likelihood that you will lose the element of surprise.” Mary glares right back at him, her arms crossed over her chest as she flickers again before him. Cas is beginning to think that emotional disturbance makes it harder for her to hold her form.

“We have no true indication that Azazel is aware of us at all. He’s been after Sam and Dean, however, we killed his bounty hunter and we’ve had Charlie to cover our tracks. She’s very, very good at what she does. We should trust her to keep him in the dark and take the time to appropriately plan.” Castiel has no plans to be budged on this issue. His training tells him that a poorly planned strike would surely get them all killed. Not to mention that he has a really bad feeling about attacking Azazel right now. “The longer we wait, the more time Sam has to train.”

“Sam will be fine.” Mary insists. “He has good senses.”

Cas finds himself gritting his teeth in frustration. He has no clue why Mary is so insistent on this, particularly when the stakes are so high. Her comment, however, gives him an idea. “Why don’t we see what Sam’s senses can tell us.”

The both turn to look at Sam, who seems to want to shrink into the wall behind him. The argument has been taking place in Sam’s room and only includes the three of them. Dean and the others are taking care of their departure from Alderaan, which has turned out to be a good thing because Cas knows that this would make Dean ballistic.

Sam swallows heavily before speaking. “What do you want me to do?”

“You know what to do, Sam. You’ve done this many times before; just see what you can see.” Cas says gently to Sam.

Sam nods and takes a deep breath before sinking to a cross legged position on his bed. He closes his eyes and soon begins to glow.

Cas falls into silence and centers himself in the Force, pointedly ignoring Mary. He knows it’s childish but he is suspicious of her methods and still can’t understand what is driving her. If it’s vengeance she’s after, she certainly waited a long while to gain it. Mary doesn’t attempt to make conversation with him either. He can feel the Force as it swirls around Sam, flowing in and out of the younger man. It tugs at his senses but he doesn’t follow the pull for the moment. He feels a strong need to keep himself in the here and now.

The silence in the room stretches, becoming more and more uncomfortable. Time drags until Sam finally comes back to them. His eyes flick from Cas to his mother before he speaks. “I… got a feeling of disaster looming before us. The more I thought about going after Azazel now, the worse that feeling got.” He glances to his mother again, clearly worried about disagreeing with her. “Going to Takodana now feels right to me.”

Sam was right to be worried as Mary clearly didn’t like this. “You can’t know that for certain.”

“Actually, Sam has a very good track record of being right.” Cas said mildly, as he glanced at Mary’s unhappy visage. “I would also point out that if he’s trained enough to face Azazel then surely he’s trained enough to See. You can’t believe both.”

Mary huffs, her arms still crossed over her chest. “You are right, of course. If Azazel has even the smallest hint of what’s coming…”

“I promise you, I am not under estimating Azazel. I am aware that he is a very difficult foe. Because of that, we must move carefully and with as much knowledge as we can, that way we can exploit his every weakness and make them strengths for us.”

“I understand. I simply have never worked with a Jedi with such skill before.” Mary admitted, her arms releasing to her sides. “Believe it or not, I don’t wish to see my sons harmed.”

Castiel had the impression that she meant this, but it didn’t help him understand her any better. “Of course.”

Mary said nothing more, simply winked out of existence.

Sam released his breath in one long whoosh. He glanced at Cas, clearly unhappy. “I don’t know what to think of this.”

“I understand.” Cas patted the young man on his shoulder before moving towards the door. “We have bought some time to think this through at least. Why don’t you get a little rest? We’ve both worked hard.”

Sam nodded and flopped over onto his bed, face down into his sheets. Cas left him that way. When he came out of the room, he glanced around. Eileen and Adam were playing Dejarik in the common area while Dean and Charlie were nowhere in sight. He headed back to the room he shared with Dean simply because he didn’t feel as if talking to the others would be helpful just now. The room smelled of Dean and somehow that comforted him. Just as Sam had before him, Cas flopped down onto the bed facedown. He took a moment to shrug out of the duster one arm at a time so he could toss it onto the bed next to him. Despite having rested the night before, he was still exhausted. However, on closing his eyes, he found that he couldn’t sleep even though that had been his goal.

He’d spent another wonderful morning with Dean and had learned more about physical pleasure. If he thought of it in only those terms, he was well with what was happening between them. He always thought of Balthazar and his insistence that sexual activity was not harmful to those who used the Force. The trouble was, it wasn’t just lessons in pleasure. Every time Dean touched him, he felt something and that something grew. Cas wasn’t sure how he felt about that or what he thought about feeling at all. If he was honest with himself, he was confused and yet, the thought of stopping brought pain twisting through his chest. The one thing he hadn’t done was to consult the Force. He hadn’t wanted to do so because he was afraid that he would see that it was wrong and he shouldn’t be so involved. If that was the case, then he didn’t want to know.

Cas knew the confusion wouldn’t end until he did consulted the Force. He sat up and settled into his center and reached for the Force.

***

When Dean emerged from the cockpit, it was to find only Adam and Eileen in the common area of the ship. This worried Dean, even if he wasn’t sure why. He went looking for Sam first and found his brother lying face down on his bed, snoring away. The kid worked hard over the last week and he deserved his rest. Dean backed out of the room without waking him.

Dean decided to check his room next, already somewhat expecting to find Cas asleep. When he opened the door, he found that Cas was sitting upright on the bed, surrounded by a blue glow. Dean had never seen Cas do this, though he’d seen Sam do it a couple times before. He approached the bed slowly, not wanting to disturb whatever his lover was doing. It seemed it didn’t matter how softly Dean moved, Cas was aware of him. The Jedi’s eyes opened and focused on Dean.

“Hello, Dean.”

That gravelly voice got him every time. “Hey Cas.” Dean sat down next to the Jedi. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes, Dean.” Cas answered, though there was some hesitation in his voice.

“Are you sure?” Dean heard the hesitation and focused on it.

“I…” Cas considered for a long moment. “I have been confused so I was seeking answers?”

“Confused about what?” Dean couldn’t say why, but he felt something lurch in his stomach.

“The Jedi teachings don’t allow for what we have between us. I.. don’t regret what we have and I wanted to see if the Force was against it.” Cas looked up at Dean, their eyes meeting.

“Well?” Dean needed answers and was resisting the urge to shake the other man.

“There was nothing against it in the Force. I sensed no danger in what we have.” Cas sighed softly, and reached for Dean’s hands. His skin was warm and the touch was grounding to Dean. “I was relieved. I think… even if I knew it was wrong, I wouldn’t stop. I don’t know if that’s right or wrong.” Cas is looking at Dean as if he has all the answers.

Dean isn’t sure if he does. “I… as long as it doesn’t hurt us, I don’t think it’s bad.”

“Maybe it was the Force that brought us together.” Cas’s eyes search Dean’s face as he scoots closer on the bed.

“I don’t know about that Cas, the Force ain’t my thing but if it did bring us together then it’s fine with me. I want you here.” This is the closest to talking about his feelings that Dean wants to get right now, so he closes the distance between them to attack the Jedi’s lips. He’s thrilled when Cas instantly melts into his body, his mouth opening to him. The Jedi’s fingers twist into his clothes, dragging them closer together with an air of desperation. Dean has never seen anything like this from Cas, it’s almost as if the Jedi needs the contact between them. If that’s the case, then Dean is happy to oblige.

The feel of this kiss is different from any other they have shared in their time together. Usually Dean takes the lead, guiding Cas deeper and deeper until they are both panting with want. It’s a process that is both slow and sweet as Dean is always aware that these are Cas’s first lessons in such pleasure. The Jedi is full of wonder and eagerness, leaning into Dean’s touch and soaking up what he gives like a sponge. Today Cas takes the lead from Dean, his tongue plunging into Dean’s mouth and drawing groans from his lips as the Jedi’s hands roam over his body, sliding down Dean’s chest to grasp the edge of his shirt. When Cas’s hands slid beneath the fabric, they were hot and trembling slightly.

Dean’s cock was already half hard and well on its way to straining against his pants, however, he could sense that something was off in the way that Cas touched him. Never before had he seen this kind of intense desperation as if the Jedi needed something and was actively trying to pull it from Dean’s body. Dean wanted it; he almost needed to be what it was Cas was looking for however, he could practically hear the alarm bells in his head. It was one thing to want but this felt…wrong.

“Woah…woah.. Cas.” He gasped as the Jedi’s lips nibbled at the side of his neck. The last thing Dean truly wanted was for this to stop however, he put his hands over Cas’s to stop them.

Cas drew back, his eyes hot over a confused expression. “Dean.. do you not want…?”

“No.. I want this, you have no idea.” Dean shifted on the bed, trying to relieve the pressure on his dick. He redirected his attention to the man before him. Cas was leaning over him, his body slowly forcing Dean back onto the bed. Dean lay all the way back then touched Cas’s cheek. “What’s wrong.”

“Nothing.” Cas’s answer is prompt but he turned his face away and wouldn’t look at Dean.

“You can tell me.” Dean grasped Cas’s chin and turned the Jedi back until they were facing. The heat was draining out of the other man’s eyes.

Cas shifted uncomfortably. “I… don’t know what to make of this. I want it… you… so much. I should be able to stop but I don’t think I can.” The Jedi sits down on the side of the bed next to Dean.

Dean pulls Cas down next to him and rolls to his side so he was looking into Cas’s eyes. “That’s…I… feel that way too. I think that’s just the nature of the beast Cas, no one wants to be alone and when you are with someone you want, someone it’s good with, you want to be around them.”

“It’s just…control is so important to the Jedi. If I lose control I could do horrible things.” Cas murmured, his fingers stroking over Dean’s cheek.

“I don’t think you will.” Dean said, closing the space between them until their lips touched once more. “Because you are concerned about it.”

“If someone tried to hurt you...” Cas kissed him again, as if he couldn’t quite stop himself but this time there was no desperation. “…I might do something wrong to protect you.”

“That’s normal too, Cas.” The siren song of Cas’s lips was strong but Dean felt that he had to straighten this all out before they went any farther. “Anyone would try to protect the people they care about.”

“We aren’t supposed to care. The Temple forbade it.” Cas’s eyes searched Dean’s face, though what it was he was looking for remained a mystery.

“Cas, people care deeply for others all the time and they do not become monsters.” Dean was trying not to panic but the longer they talked, the more he started to realize that he could lose Cas altogether now. “Come on, Cas. You’re a Jedi, what do your instincts tell you.” He almost winced at the pleading in his voice.

Cas stared at him for a long moment before all the tension drained out of his body. “That you make me happy and that can’t be horrible.”

Relief flood through Dean. “I think you are right. We are good together. Not just in bed but just … together.” He almost can’t believe that he’s saying this but Dean realizes that losing Cas would destroy him in ways he didn’t want to think about. When had they gotten so close? Why had it happened so fast?

Cas nodded, his lips curving slightly into a smile. “I think you are right. I feel stronger when you are near.”

“Me too.” Dean leans forward again, his lips tracing the curve of his lover’s cheek before tasting his lips once more. The touch is warm but without the earlier heat. While Dean wants Cas, he decides that this is not the time. They’ve been moving so quickly and Cas seems to need time. “Nap with me?”

Cas looks at him, seeming slightly confused again. “If you wish it.”

“I do.” Dean scoots his body all the way up the bed, drawing Cas to follow him. “It’s not all about sex, Cas.” Dean settles the covers around them before dragging Cas into his arms. “Sometimes it’s just about being close.”

Cas snuggles in close to Dean. “I like being close to you.”

“Me too, Cas. Me too.”

*****

Their arrival on Takodana went without issue. The space port was some distance from Maz’s place, so it took time and coordination to make arrangements for them all to go. Even Charlie had been adamant that she needed to be there when they spoke with Maz Kanata.

“I will need to hear the information first hand. Besides, it would be easier to trace information there, Kanata is a major figure in the seedier side of the galaxy. I’m surprised you two don’t know her.” Charlie had told Sam while tucking her equipment into a backpack. Sam had made a face at her and then had gone on to work on his own packing.

That’s where Eileen found him. “Sam.”

Sam looked up in surprise. “What is it?”

“I think I should go ahead.” Eileen was dressed already in her mandalorian armor with her blaster at her side. The armor was scratched and battered looking but obviously still sound. “Maz knows me and might not like such a huge group coming to her place, particularly with so many Jedi.”

“What does she have against Jedi?” He asked, alarm bells going off.

“Nothing that I know of, but I’ve heard rumors that she can use the Force. If so, she’ll know you both right away.” Eileen pointed out, shifting from foot to foot as she watched him, waiting for his answer.

Sam had to admit that she had a point. “Maybe it would be best but I’m going with you.”

Eileen scoffed. “That’s what we are trying to avoid!”

“If she will know me on sight, then why bother trying to hide it. Won’t she appreciate the honesty?” The more Sam thought about it, the more he felt that this was the right course of action.

Eileen’s shoulders slumped. “Your brother won’t like it.”

“Leave me to deal with my brother.” Honestly, Sam was surprised she’d given in so easily, it would have made him suspicious however, he’d never felt so much of a twinge of unease around Eileen and he usually did if he were near people who wanted to hurt them. He didn’t understand her, but he didn’t think she meant the harm, at least not now.

They went to find Dean together. His brother was, unsurprisingly, with Cas. “Hey Sammy.”

Sam sighed but didn’t challenge the nickname. One fight at a time. “Eileen thinks she should go ahead and let Maz know we are coming so she doesn’t mistake it for an attack.”

Dean froze. His eyes flicked to Eileen and then back to Sam. “It’s not a bad idea but…” What Dean wasn’t saying was that they hadn’t been around her long enough to trust her.

Eileen read between the lines and snorted. “I don’t expect you to trust me fully but we do have to work together.”

“That’s why I thought I would go with her.” Sam said, cutting in before she and Dean argued.

“Seriously Sam! That’s not…” Dean began.

Sam cut him off. “You know Dean, I’m not helpless. Besides, I think I should go to feel out the danger level of the castle.”

“And if it’s dangerous?” Dean asked, scowling.

“That’s what I’m for.” Eileen said, patting one of her blaster pistols. Sam couldn’t help but notice she had a mean looking blaster rifle on her back. “Don’t worry, I won’t let them harm a hair on your baby brother’s head.”

Both men scowled at her. Sam didn’t need her protection. Dean didn’t like someone other than him looking after Sam.

Cas interrupted the collective glaring. “It’s not a bad idea, Dean.” Dean shot Cas a look, his shoulders still tense. Cas went on. “Maz Kanata is well respected, even if the Jedi order whispered about her. She’s not someone to play around with. If we are honest with her, we have nothing to fear. A warning is likely the polite thing to do.”

Dean sighed. “Fine.”

In less than five minutes, Sam was driving a rented speeder with Eileen in the passenger seat. The bounty hunter was quiet as they traveled the planet surface. Sam watched her out of the corner of his eyes. If she noticed, she didn’t say anything. Sam was sure she noticed. The silence remained until the castle came into sight before them.

“Maybe you should let me do the talking.” Eileen suggested mildly as they drew to a halt.

Sam looked at her seriously, staring a beat too long before he said anything at all. “Look, I’m not Dean. I know how to be diplomatic.”

“I know, Sam.” Eileen assured him, which Sam found strange, the woman almost always poked at him a little bit and seemed all sharp edges. This was new. She seemed different now that she was away from the others. “Dean doesn’t think before he opens his mouth. Just…let me do introductions.”

Sam nodded. “That makes sense.”

Eileen smiled. It was an honest smile, not her customary smirk. Again, Sam thought it odd but nice. Maybe he could like her after all. She seemed okay when she wasn’t trying to put on Mandalorian bravado. They walked to the door of the castle, which Eileen pushed open when they got to them. The inside was dark and filled with people of all walks of life. There were booths that held aliens and droids, some examining the two of them curiously and some ignoring them completely. It was the sort of place that made Sam want to put his hand on his blaster though he refrained. He was extra aware of the long handle of his saber which was attached to the back of a bandolier that slanted across his chest, even though it was underneath his jacket.

They made their way across the room with some people giving way before Eileen. Mandalorians were often feared and/or respected and it seemed her reputation preceded her here. They stopped when a short, orange skinned woman wearing goggles stepped in front of them. “Eileen Leahy. It’s good to see you, girl.”

“I’m still alive.” Eileen muttered as the woman took one of the bounty hunter’s hands and held it between her own two.

“I knew you would be. You’re a survivor, like me.” The old woman chuckled then turned her eyes to Sam. She examined him closely before letting go of Eileen.

“One of the Winchester brothers, I presume.”

Sam’s couldn’t hide his shock. He didn’t think word of them would have reached this far. “Yes, Ma’am.”

The woman snorted. “Ma’am. Such good manners.” She came closer to him and looked up at him, appearing to see straight through. “Yes, I’ve heard of you boys. You’ve got a reputation for being reliable smugglers. Not bad. It looks like you have gone afield of that, though, haven’t you….?”  She let the phrase dangle, clearly waiting for his name.

“Sam.”

“Sam. “ She repeated. “It’s been a long while since I’ve seen one of those weapons here. Take care to keep it covered. I don’t want any trouble.”

Again, Sam is stunned, but he catches Eileen’s eye. She told him so and he knew it.

The old woman went on. “I’m Maz Kanata and this is my place. Now then, what is it you want, because I’m certain you want something.”

Eileen cut in smoothly. “We want to talk about Azazel.”


	19. Negotiations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Who knows?” Maz cut in, sending a sharp look to Eileen. “What is it you want from me, then?”
> 
> “We know that you have no love for Azazel.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really wish I could promise to post faster on this, but who knows. I will NOT forget it, I promise. We are in the home stretch now. I would expect three or four more chapters. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Maz had asked Sam and Eileen to wait in a private room the moment that they said they wanted to talk about Azazel. Once she heard that they were waiting on others to join them, she had nodded, offered them food and drink and then had left them alone. They sat across from each other at the large circular table in the smallish room in poor lighting. Sam was getting a little nervous about it, because he knew very little about Maz Kanata beyond her status as a former pirate and the owner of one of the most famous smugglers dens in the galaxy. He finds himself looking around the room, noting the locations of all the cameras scattered around the room. Eileen is sitting at the table, lounging a bit like a cat at the table without seeming concerned.  Sam doesn’t want to glare at her, but he knows that he is.

Eileen smiles at him. “Relax, Sam. If Maz wanted us dead, we already would be.”

They stare at each other. Sam shouldn’t be noticing how dark her eyes are but he does, just as he doesn’t want to notice that her hair takes on auburn highlights in the low light of the room. _This is getting out of hand._ He tells himself that he doesn’t like tomboy bounty hunters but prefers rounded, feminine women who smell nice. Unfortunately, Sam is having a hard time believing it right now. He sits down at the table across from her.

“Fine.” He says, jaw tight. He forces himself to relax when he sees the amused sparkle in her eyes. He’s playing into her hands, though he’s not particularly certain what they are playing at. He curls his fingers into his palms and then releases them. “What should we do while we wait?”

Eileen’s eyebrow quirks up. She pushes a box towards the center of the table then pops it open to reveal a deck of cards. “Sabacc?”

Sam snorts and reaches in for the cards. “Sounds good.”

Her smile widens. “We should play for credits.” She fishes out a pile of credit chips and drops them on the table.

Sam matches her smile as he drops his own pile of credit chips on the table. “By all means.” 

*****

It took them far longer to get ready to move out after landing on Takodana because of the extra people they were bringing along. Both Charlie and Adam should be considered non-combatants but both refused to be left behind. Adam was insistent that Azazel was after him too and as such, he needed to know what was going on. Charlie said that they needed her to verify what Maz told them and moreover, she needed to use Maz’s specialized net connections to find out more about their target. Nothing neither he nor Dean said swayed them so they had to arrange for a transport that could fit all of them. Charlie could likely have handled driving a speeder bike but Adam had yet to learn how to drive at all; the kid was barely old enough to get his license. It didn’t help that Sam and Eileen took off and left the preparations to them.

It took nearly two hours before they were underway and another couple of hours which frustrated Dean to no end and Cas could tell that he was grinding his teeth as they left the space port. If anything, this fact seemed to amuse Charlie to no end. Adam looked a little cowed in the face of the potential temper brewing in the front seat of the speeder. It took quite some time before Dean relaxed as they drove through the beautiful scenery that Takodana offered but when the man finally relaxed, Cas sensed it through the Force. He hadn’t really been looking for it or trying to sense what Dean was feeling but he did so anyway and that mystified him but more, it frightened him again. He had heard of Force bonds before, connections that bring two people close together because they are meant to be together, however, he’d never truly believed that they existed. He can’t deny that he felt something of Dean just then and if he concentrated on the thought there have been other times when it happened. The one that came to his mind was when they fought together on Nar Shadaa before he was injured. In those few moments, he had felt as if he and Dean had moved as one, as if they knew each other intimately. The idea warmed him as much as it worried him. He feared that he would lose his perspective and become something he was not.

Dean glanced at him from the driver’s seat. “Something wrong, Cas?”

Cas shook his head. “Nothing you don’t know about.”

Dean nodded and turned back to watch the road before them. “It’s going to be fine, Cas.”

Cas sensed Dean’s doubt as he said it, but it was so much less than what he felt just then. He wanted to believe, to have faith that he wouldn’t become a monster. For the moment, he decided to listen to Dean and pushed the worry away. “What do you think we will find when we get there?”

“A safe place, I think.” Charlie piped up from the back seat. “Maz Kanata is well known for liking people like us; misfits and scoundrels that live on the fringe of the galaxy.”

“Eileen says that Maz has no love for Palpatine and what he represents.” Adam adds. The youngest Winchester brother is clearly trying to add in his own influence to their endeavor. Castiel can’t blame him though he also is concerned for the young man’s safety. He knows that when it’s time, they will have to leave him behind however, he saw little point in telling the boy now.

“I have heard that Kanata is strong in the Force.” Castiel tells them and found that he was uncertain of what she would think of him. Suppose she resented another Jedi invading the safety of her palace? There was little he could do about it now and decided to take a page from Dean and hope for the best. It was a strange feeling for him as before he’d only relied on what his senses in the Force told him. Right now, however, he could only feel the currents of those closest to him. Of them, only Charlie wasn’t nervous in some way. She had full faith that things would be fine. It was very much like her to be optimistic in the face of great danger.

As if she knew what he was thinking, Charlie spoke again. “Come on guys! We are all badass motherfuckers here! We are going in there to get help and when we come out, we are going to show Azazel what happens when he messes with the wrong people.”

“Damn straight!” Adam announced, easily taking Charlie’s enthusiasm and running with it. “They can’t mess with our family here.”

Next to him, Dean smiled. “Huh, I guess we are family. They can’t fucking beat that.”

The entire idea felt foreign to Cas. Family was not a luxury that the Jedi Order had allowed so he’d never known what that was like. The closest feeling that he had ever experienced was what he’d shared with Meg back at the Academy before she was sent away. He’d missed her badly and until he’d seen her on Ord Mantell, he’d always wondered what had happened to her. Now, he realized that he felt the same way about all the people here, despite having known most of them for only a short while. It was a feeling so nice that he found himself wondering how the Order could have ever thought it wrong. He turned to Dean. “Is this… are we family?”

Dean nodded. “Yeah, Cas, we are.”

*****

The conversation in the speeder buoyed Dean’s spirit and eased the mood in the car so that they bantered easily throughout the rest of the trip, falling silent when they came into sight of the many strings of flags that marked Maz Kanata’s palace. They parked the speeder and all climbed out. All of them looked about curiously, but the wonder written on Adam’s face was the most pronounced and Dean began to wonder if the kid had ever been off Alderaan before. “Let’s go.” He stepped out before the others and led the way up the steps and towards the door. It didn’t take much for them to be let into the dark interior of the palace. Dean relaxed into the familiar atmosphere of the pirate’s haven; he wasn’t a pirate but a smuggler fit well on the virtue that they bucked the laws and did what they wanted as well.

He was well aware of the eyes on him, sizing the lot of them up but he’d expected that. The people who congregated here would be on the lookout for danger in all its forms. He examined them all back, taking care not to keep his eyes on one place for too long so no one felt challenged by him. They hadn’t gotten too far into the room before they were met by a droid.

“Good afternoon. If you would follow me, I will show you to your associates.” The droid didn’t wait for them to answer, it simply turned away curtly and expected them to follow.

Dean raised his eyebrows but simply followed where the droid led after turning back to make sure that the others were following. They were left in front of a room that was away from the main room and offered a good deal more privacy. Dean wondered if this meant that Maz knew why they were there and didn’t want the rest of her usual guests to know what they were up to. He filed that information away as the door opened to reveal Eileen and Sam sitting at a large round table. They were both holding cards and Eileen looked exceptionally annoyed by the large pile of money in front of Sam.

Dean smirked as he walked into the room. “Playing Sabacc against Sammy is a very bad idea.”

Eileen snorted. “I’ve found that out.” She tosses her cards down onto the table.

“I take it you fold?” Sam asked, arching an eyebrow. Eileen waved a hand at the money in the center of the table, indicating the he should take it.

Adam slid into the seat next to Sam. “Will you teach me?”

“Sure, Adam.” Sam puts all the cards back into the deck and began to shuffle them while the rest of their group found seats at the table. It was not surprising that Cas took a seat next to Dean.

They don’t end up waiting very long at all before Maz came into the room with them. She looked the lot of them over with eyes that were unreadable behind the lenses of her goggles. Her eyes finally fall on Castiel, who had stood when she came into the room. The Jedi looked nervous. Maz’s weathered face broke into a smile. “Be welcome here, Master Jedi.”

Cas bowed to her formally. “Thank you, but you flatter me. I’m no Master.”

“No?” She queried, her eyes flicked to Sam and back. “Is this not your apprentice?”

“I… yes, it is.” Cas answered slowly.

“Then you are a Master.” Maz announced evenly then indicated the chairs. “Sit.” She joined them at the table. “Now, on to the business at hand.” She looked around the table at them with amusement as no one spoke up.

Finally, Charlie cleared her throat and stood up. She nodded to the holovid equipment in the center of the table. “May I?” When Maz nodded, she activated it and pulled up the blue glow of a screen that they could all see. “As I’m sure you are aware, nearly everyone here has trouble with Azazel. He is hunting all the Winchesters relentlessly for no reason that we can find. As you can imagine, this is getting old.”

Dean took over. “I have no idea what this asshole wants but we are through with him attacking us. It’s time to take the fight to him.”

Maz nodded her understanding but looked expectantly to Castiel.

The Jedi answered the unasked question. “We suspect that Azazel is a Sith operating separately from Palpatine.”

“You aren’t wrong.” Maz confirmed, her eyes still on Cas before turning them to Dean. “I’m well aware of his personal warfare on your family. It’s odd for a man with so much to lose to be so focused on something so small. Perhaps he’s seen something in the Force that makes one of you a threat to him.”

“Which would explain why the attacks have been on all brothers. He doesn’t know which one.” Castiel reasoned.

Sam cut in. “Or he knows it’s all of us.”

“Who knows?” Maz cut in, sending a sharp look to Eileen. “What is it you want from me, then?”

“We know that you have no love for Azazel.” Eileen pointed out reasonably as she took over the thread of the conversation. “We also know that you won’t move against him directly, however, I highly doubt that you have let him go unwatched.”

Maz nods. “You want to know where he is.”

“No more and no less.” Eileen confirmed.

Maz stared at them each in turn, clearly considering their request. If Azazel found out she had helped, it could mean that she would bring war down on herself. On the other hand, getting rid of Azazel would take pressure off of her since he constantly tried to encroach on what she held. It was a pretty even split, all told.

Everyone in the room seemed to be holding their breath as she debated the issue. The silence was heavy around them. Next to Sam, Adam fidgeted. After what felt like an eternity, she finally nodded. “Very well, I will give you a location. No more, no less.”

The relief in the room was palpable as Maz reached for the holovid equipment and brought up a planet on the view screen.

“Belsavis?” Charlie said as she looked at the screen in shock. “There’s nothing there. It’s an abandoned prison.”

“Which makes it a perfect place for someone to hide.” Maz pointed out. “He controls an entire empire of criminals from the prison facilities there.” She turned the planet on the screen and zoomed in to a region that was littered with volcanos. “We suspect his base of operation is here, however, we haven’t allowed our people to get close enough to truly tell. I don’t want to enter into a direct conflict with the slime.”

Charlie marked the place and seemed to be fiddling with the controls of the holovid screen. “I see a lot of electrical energy coming from that region. It could be a hidden base. It could also be something completely natural to the area. We won’t know until we land there.”

“This is great and all, but won’t they see us coming if the planet is abandoned?” Dean pointed out, as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“You’re right. We will be made the moment we come out of hyperspace.” Sam confirmed. He looked troubled but also thoughtful as he tried to think things through.

“This is where I come in.” Eileen said. “I’m a bounty hunter in his employ. If I come out of hyperspace in my ship, they won’t suspect a thing. I’ll tell them I am there to turn in a bounty. They will let me in.”

Charlie nodded. “I can ride along with her. I won’t even have to leave the ship. I can take down their sensor equipment from inside then the rest of you can jump in.”

Sam still seemed thoughtful. “This will require perfect timing.”

Charlie nodded and opened her mouth to speak but Maz forestalled her. “I don’t need to hear the particulars. You are welcome to use the room to plan.” She turned her eyes to Cas. “Walk with me, Master Jedi.”

Castiel nodded and followed the small woman out of the room. Dean tried not to worry about the man, his lover, as he left. They could trust Maz, something inside him told him so, still, he hated letting the Jedi out of his site after what had happened on Nar Shadaa. He supposed he was going to have to learn.

With a sigh, Dean turned his attention to the debate in front of him and launched into arguing out the details of their plan with the others.

*****

Castiel followed Maz deeper into the palace. They took a couple of turns and he supposed that anyone else would be lost as the place was clearly monstrous in size with an interior laid out to be deliberately confusing to strangers. He knew that was likely for protection against the very sort of people the place attracted. As they walked, he wondered what it was the Maz wanted to say to him that couldn’t be said before the others. Finally, they stopped before a door. Cas estimated it to be near the outer wall somewhere, though where in the building he couldn’t say. It seemed the layout of the place was doing its job. He approved.

“You surely know that this will be dangerous to you most of all.” Maz said as she activated the door in front of them. “Azazel has never responded well to challenge. The spirit I feel near you would surely corroborate.

He wasn’t particularly surprised that she had sensed Mary despite that they hadn’t seen her since they had argued the last time. He knew she was still around because he could sense her in the Force. He didn’t know if she was avoiding him directly and only speaking to Sam, though the thought of that made him vaguely uncomfortable. Cas felt a strong need to know if she was encouraging him to be reckless the way that she clearly was. As a master, he needed to offset that – not because it was wrong, but because in the end, it must be Sam’s choice. He couldn’t make it for him and Mary shouldn’t either.

“I understand. We are challenging a terrible foe but I would see this through.” Cas answered her as he followed into the room. It was filled with nothing more interesting than crates. Some were old and had clearly been there for quite some time while others appeared to have arrived recently.

“You follow your own path now. This is good.” Maz nodded, then caught his eyes and led the way to a particular crate. She ran her fingers over the sealed metal. “A shared acquaintance called in a favor with me and asked that I give you this. I think you will find the contents to be quite precious and rare.”

He examined the crate while questions swirled in his head. “Who?”

Maz seemed to smirk. ”A friend recently returned.”  

Cas tilted his head and squinted at her as he tried to come up with the answer until it dawned on him. He had no clue why he hadn’t guessed immediately. Only one friend had been returned to him. “Meg.”

“The one and same.” Maz confirmed. “She’s a clever little thing, when she’s not biting off more than she can chew.”

He nodded his agreement. Meg had always been ambitious and somewhat careless in her dealings. It’s part of what had gotten her dismissed. “Why…?” He shook his head. He doubted that Maz would know what was in Meg’s mind, after all, he knew her well and he never knew. “What is it?”

Maz stepped away. “Look and see.”

Castiel approached the crate warily. It could be a trap though he doubted it was. This was a lot of trouble to go to if his murder was the current goal. He was quite sure that Maz had the capability of making quick work of them all. He touched the locks on the crate, which clicked open beneath his touch, then the box hissed open. What he saw inside drove a gasp from his lips. His head whipped around to face Maz. “Is this real?”

“Of course, young Master.” She crossed her arms over her tiny chest. “You are about to go to war. It seems your friend would like you to stay alive.”

Castiel turned back to the contents of the crate and took it in. A full set of Jedi armor gleamed through the packing material. He had no doubt that there was a robe and utility belt inside as well. He lifted the breastplate and marveled at its weight. It was light and wouldn’t impede his movement. He had no clue where Meg had even found this, after all, Palpatine had likely ordered all things affiliated with the Jedi destroyed. Even having this in her possession could be bad news for Maz, that is, if she cared. Clearly she didn’t. He turned back to her. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me.” She snorted, making her way to the door. “I’m just delivering the goods. Thank your friend.” She moved to the door, then shot a look to him. “Close that crate before you bring it through and don’t wear it. I don’t fear Palpatine or his empire, but there are certainly some here who wouldn’t be friendly. I have no desire to clean up a fight.” With that, she left him alone.

He put the breast plate back down and tucked it into the packing material. As he did so, he found a datapad hidden next to the side of the box. He powered it up and found a file waiting for his attention.

_Clarence,_

_I have no clue what you are doing, but I’ve got no doubt it’s going to involve risking your neck in some crazy fight. It always does. Do me a favor and keep your ass in one piece? Something tells me I’d get stuck covering the cost of your funeral._

_-Meg_

Castiel couldn’t help but laugh. Suddenly he felt a great deal better about facing Azazel in the coming days. At least he would be fully armed and armored when they got there. With a sigh, he closed up the crate and took it with him to rejoin the others. They had a raid to plan.


	20. Tomorrow We May Die

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean was watching him, his brow wrinkling in concern as he saw something in Castiel’s face. “Are you okay, Cas?”
> 
> “I am.” Castiel got to his feet and took Dean’s hand. He began to lead Dean away from the common area and towards the cabins. “I see now. It’s all so clear.”
> 
> “What’s clear?” Dean asked but didn’t resist.
> 
> Together they walked into the cabin that was theirs. When the door was closed behind them, Cas turned to Dean. “I’ve learned what it means to love you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are close to the end now. I suspect two more chapters. Maybe an epilogue, I'm not sure. 
> 
> The bulk of this chapter is smut, y'all.  
> Enjoy!  
> ~Neal

They had a plan. They’d ironed out all the details after they left Maz’s place and hit hyperspace. They’d come out at Alderaan in order to pick up Eileen’s ship, which had been stashed in an out of the way place on the planet. Then she and Adam had headed out to their own, which set the plan in motion. They’d gone over the plan so many times before that each one of them could recite each and every detail by memory. Cas made sure of that. Timing was key and while Charlie would establish a secure way to contact each other before they started, once the plan was underway there would be radio silence.

It was fair to say that they were all nervous. Adam had hugged everyone twice when they’d split up and even Eileen had consented to hugs as well – the longer they were with the bounty hunter the more they learned that her tough exterior covered a person who cared a little too deeply. They’d made promises to see each other once it was all over and each hoped that they would live to see that day.

That led them to where they were now, one night from jumping out of hyperspace over Belsavis. They would be exactly two hours behind Adam and Eileen. This would give the pair enough time to make planet fall and plant the data spike that would give Charlie control of Azazel’s entire network, complete with sensors. Azazel’s people wouldn’t see Baby come out of hyperspace. All that was left now was for them to wait.

As a general rule, Castiel didn’t mind the wait. He’d been in many large battles during the Clone Wars and was no stranger to the calm that came before the storm. He sat at the bar in the common area and stared straight ahead. Before him, Dean paced restlessly, however, Cas’s thoughts had turned inwards and he scarcely noticed the smuggler.

A realization had come to Castiel. He’d been fretting about losing Dean to death in what was to come. He could feel Dean’s restlessness and anxious fear as if they were his own, but instead of annoying him, they endeared Dean to him even more. It was strange to not fear his own death but to dread the death of another. Was this family? Was this love? He couldn’t bear the thought of losing Dean or Sam or Charlie. He’d protect them if he could. He’d always been a protector and never liked to see death but accepted that it was a part of battle. He knew that death was a part of life and he had always accepted that before. Now, it seemed to be a little harder to wrap his head around the concept when considering those he cared about.

That’s when it struck him. Love wasn’t the enemy. He could feel it and savor it but he must also accept that to love opens the door to loss. He had to look at the fear of that loss and accept it then move through it. With love came fear of loss and the risk of pain. They existed in balance.

Balance. That was the key.  If he chose to love Dean, then he must accept that he might lose him and that would bring unspeakable pain. Could Castiel accept that?

His eyes sought out Dean and watched him move. The smuggler was beautiful, even in anxiety. Then Dean looked up at him and smiled. The smile lit up his lover’s face and brought a sparkle to his green eyes. Yes. Castiel knew that he could accept the risk just to see that smile. He would walk next to Dean and risk his loss just to bathe in the light of their love. All of the worry Castiel had felt since he and Dean had become intimate faded away. He had his answer and knew peace.

Dean was watching him, his brow wrinkling in concern as he saw something in Castiel’s face. “Are you okay, Cas?”

“I am.” Castiel got to his feet and took Dean’s hand. He began to lead Dean away from the common area and towards the cabins. “I see now. It’s all so clear.”

“What’s clear?” Dean asked but didn’t resist.

Together they walked into the cabin that was theirs. When the door was closed behind them, Cas turned to Dean. “I’ve learned what it means to love you.”

Dean looked as if he’d been poleaxed. “What do you mean, Cas?”

Cas licked his lips as he considered his next words carefully. “Tomorrow we both could die. It’s a frightening thought and… that’s love. The thought that you would go where I can’t be… where I can’t touch you… it hurts, Dean.” Cas touched two fingers to the center of his own chest. “But love is also the joy of having you near and seeing you smile. It’s the warmth of being in your arms.” He reached out the same two fingers and tapped them to the center of Dean’s chest. He looked into Dean’s eyes and saw conflict and hope in them. “I never knew.”

“Jeez, Cas.” Dean shifted foot to foot and scratched the back of his head while his cheeks turned pink. “That’s one hell of a confession.”

Cas tilted his head to the side. “Was it inappropriate?”

“What? No!” Dean skipped forward and grabbed Cas’s arms and slammed him against his chest. “God,  no. I just wasn’t expecting it.”

“I thought you should know, in case I die tomorrow.” Cas’s words were charged and somber. His eyes searched Dean’s face, looking for something he couldn’t name. He found it there, even if he couldn’t put words to it.

“Hey, don’t talk like that.” Dean admonished, brushing their lips together. He drew back and grinned. “I guess I don’t have to give you the ‘This might be the last night of our lives’ speech.”

“What?” Cas was confused. “I know this could be the last night of our lives. Why would I need a speech?”

Dean threw his head back and laughed while Cas looked on, still confused. “It’s a pick-up line, Cas. You know, for sex.”

Cas nodded as he began to understand. “I would like to have sexual intercourse with you now.”

Dean shook his head. “We’ve got to work on your bedroom talk, Cas. Let me go check on Sam and Charlie and then…”

Cas caught Dean’s arm. “Sam and Charlie are fine. I want to be with you now.” Now that he knew how he felt and that it was okay, Cas felt a fire burning in his chest. Every time they touched he felt such promise and now he wanted it all.

Dean’s voice was quiet when he answered. “Okay Cas.”

Cas didn’t wait for more. He held on tight to the smuggler’s jacket and crashed their mouths together. Dean opened for him and Cas plunged his tongue into the other man’s mouth, igniting them both. Dean moaned and rolled his hips against Cas’s body. He could feel the growing evidence of Dean’s arousal as it present against his hip. His own cock began to harden in response, so Cas rocked back into Dean. Both men gasped as sweet friction flooded their senses with pleasure. Suddenly, this simply wasn’t enough and they attacked each other with frantic hands, tugging clothing off. There was a long moment when they both struggled to get Dean’s leather jacket over his wrists and then other to fight off Cas’s tall boots. By the time both men were naked, the room was a mess and they were both panting heavily.

Dean growled, pushing Cas over onto the bed where he was already sitting. As soon as Cas was on his back, Dean straddled his hips, bringing their cocks together. He wrapped them both in his fist and then thrust into the channel he’d created. A moan was ripped from Cas’s throat as he felt velvet skin wet with precome slide along his overheated flesh. He thrust back against Dean and lost himself in the rhythm for a time, feeling the pleasure twist tight and tighter until this too simply wasn’t enough anymore.

“Dean…” Cas’s voice was breathless in his own ears. “I want…”

“Anything, Cas.” Above him, Dean’s skin glistened, slick with sweat.

“I want to feel you inside of me.”

Dean froze and he looked at Cas, searching. “You sure, Cas?”

Cas nodded. “I’m sure. I need to feel all of you.”

Dean’s eyes searched him a moment more, then he climbed off. Cas watched closely as he rummaged through the drawer of a nearby table and found a small bottle of lubricant. Then Dean came back.

“Open for me.” Dean patted Castiel’s thighs, so the Jedi spread them wider. The smuggler kneeled between them. “I promise I’ll make this good for you. If something hurts or you want me to stop, just say so.”

“I will Dean.” Cas promised, his eyes on Dean and his mind caught up in how beautiful the man was between his legs. He watched intently as Dean poured a small amount of lube into his hand and slicked up his fingers. Then he gasped when he felt the first touch against his tight hole. His hips surged up, feeling both arousal and nerves.

The fingers of Dean’s free hand kneaded into Cas’s hip, gently pressing him back into the bed. “Relax, you have to let me in.”

Cas took a slow breath in and then released it. Little by little he felt his muscles relax while Dean’s finger massaged gently against his rim. After a few breaths, the pressure increased until he felt Dean’s finger slide inside of him.

There was a faint burn with it at first, but it wasn’t unpleasant. As Dean began to loosen him, he began to see how this could be pleasurable. Dean was patient and gentle with him as he methodically added fingers and stretched out his body. Castiel felt as if he were being taken apart little by little until Dean was three fingers deep and struck something inside of him that made pleasure explode behind his eyelids.

“Dean.” Castiel began to babble and then pant with each touch to that spot, his hips thrusting back to fuck himself on Dean’s fingers. Eventually, he needed more. The words flew out of his mouth between panting breaths. “More… Dean please…. Need more.”

Dean kissed his hip and then the leaking head of Cas’s neglected cock before he withdrew his fingers. Cas had never felt so empty in his life. He whimpered, needing Dean more than he’d needed anything before.

“I’m here, Cas.” Dean was slicking up his cock and once done, he guided it to nudge against Cas’s hole.  “I’m right here and I’ll give you what you need.” With a drawn breath, his lover pushed inside.

Dean hadn’t known what to think when Cas had asked for sex, he’d only known he’d wanted it too. Now that he was pushing into Cas’s viselike heat, he knew that nothing could have prepared him for this moment. His eyes were on Cas’s face as he moved slowly in, watching the Jedi’s jaw go slack and the man’s hands tighten against his shoulder.

It seemed to take forever before he was fully seated inside with his body flush against Cas. He waited there, giving time for Cas to adjust to the newness of the sensation, though if he was honest he needed the time too. Cas was so perfect and tight that Dean was afraid he’d come too soon. So, he made himself content with tracing his fingers over the Jedi’s chest, now and then stopping when the touch made Cas’s breath catch.

“I’m ready.” Cas’s voice was soft but his hands insistent as he gave a tiny roll of his hips. The motion was just enough to pull a gasp from Dean and then he was moving. At first, it was slow and sweet, their bodies moving together like waves lapping into shore, the heat stoking gradually between them. Dean didn’t think of time at all, he let himself learn the secrets of Cas’s body, knowing that this moment between them was precious.

In a perfect would, he would go forever, however, the fire didn’t stay banked for long and soon they each needed more. Dean sped his rhythm, lengthening his strokes so there was more force behind them building the burn he felt until Cas’s moans were all he heard. His lover looked completely wrecked beneath him as he thrust in over and over again. Dean wanted to show Cas more, he needed him to see how much was possible between them, so his hands slipped under Cas’s thighs and pushed his legs back. The change in angle allowed his thrusts to deepen and with the next one, he hit Cas’s prostate. He knew he had by the way the Jedi gripped his shoulder with wide eyes and parted lips.

“More! Dean, please…”

Dean couldn’t hold back any longer and he let go, pounding into Cas until he felt his balls clench with the need to come. He grabbed Cas’s cock and stroked it roughly, timing his hands to the thrust of his hips. Every breath Cas took was pleading and Dean knew that he was close, so he tightened his fist and twisted at the end of the next stroke. Beneath him, Cas came apart, come streaking over Dean’s fist and between their bodies. With the orgasm, Cas’s body clenched around Dean and just like that, Dean was coming too.

“Cas… fuck..” Dean poured himself out inside of the Jedi, fucking them both through their orgasms until he had nothing left and collapsed down onto his lover. He lay there for a long moment before Cas rolled him to the side. They both winced as the motion pulled Dean out. They lay for a long while simply looking at each other. Eventually, Dean got up to fetch a washcloth to clean them both off, and then he fell back into bed next to Cas. They curled into each other beneath the blankets. There was so much they could say in the moment, about tomorrow and what it might bring but neither man spoke. They lay together in their bubble of warmth, letting the perfection of what they shared linger.

“I love you, Dean.” Cas’s fingers moved over Dean’s cheek.

“Me too, Cas. Me too.” Dean knew Cas deserved better, he deserved the words but Dean couldn’t say them, not now. After… if they both lived, he’d say them then.

*****

Dean woke to someone poking him in the back. He was toasty warm and had a warm body curled up next to him, so surely everything he needed was here. The poking continued however, and he opened one eye, only to see Cas next to him, face relaxed in sleep. That wasn’t the source of the infernal poking, which still continued without relent. With a groan Dean rolled over and found himself staring into the grinning face of one Charlie Bradbury.

“Good morning, sleepyhead!” She chirped, seemingly unconcerned with their nudity and the fact that Cas had thrown off all of his covers and was plastered to Dean’s side like an octopus.

“Charlie!” Dean made a token grab for the covers to bring them up around them and was somewhat chagrined when he couldn’t find them.

Charlie grabbed the blankets and with the same easy grin, pulled them up to waist height on both men. “There. Better?”

“Much.” Dean breathed, then remembered that he was feeling indignant about the interruption. “What the hell are you doing in here?”

“Waking the two of you up. We are going to leave hyperspace soon and you should both be awake, dressed, and caffeinated before we make planet fall on Belsavis.” Her voice was matter of fact as she spoke to him. “So hop to it.” She popped off the bed and headed to the door, though paused before she left. “Oh! Don’t worry Dean, neither of you do a thing for me. I have a strong preference for soft curves and well… women.”

“Good to know.” Dean said dryly as the redhead disappeared out of the door. He glanced at Cas with a sigh. The Jedi was grumpy when he didn’t wake up on his own. He’d have to take his chances and hope that Cas’s love for him would prevent bodily harm.

*****

Sam was relieved when Dean and Cas came out of the room fully dressed a short time later. He’d heard Charlie’s report regarding the state of the two of them and that was something he did not want to see. Not that he begrudged them their time alone (and he knew Dean well enough to understand that his brother would want to score if he could) but he really didn’t need an exhibit of the full frontal kind. He helpfully went to the tiny kitchen and poured the pair of them some coffee and pushed it into both of their hands. It could almost seem like any other day… if it weren’t for their plans to face a powerful cartel lord / Sith on his home turf. They must have been crazy.

Sam knew they had planned this thing within an inch of their lives. Eileen and Adam’s part actually was the easiest, get in and plant the spike. He checked the time and decided that the pair must be landing and negotiating the abandoned space port that Azazel’s people used. He hoped things were going well. He didn’t want to consider the loss of a brother, and the bounty hunter… he simply had no clue what he felt regarding her at all, but it was enough that he wanted to see her again too.

Dean went through the motions of making breakfast for them, bacon and eggs of course, and the three of them sat down to eat. After a few moments, Charlie joined them though mostly to steal the bacon off of their plates. For the longest time, no one said a word. It was as if they all knew that to speak would be to shatter the calm and admit that they were about to do something that could get them all killed.

That silence couldn’t last, of course. Today was too important.

“Are we on schedule?” The low gravel of Cas’s voice was perhaps the least jarring of them, still, everyone stopped what they were doing to look at the Jedi.

Charlie nodded. “We are as far as I know.” She shrugged and put aside her mug to open the large blue screen that seemed to follow her everywhere. Net connection wasn’t possible in hyperspace, so they were likely looking at stored data. “According to our timeline, Eileen and Adam should be on their way to see Azazel. Eileen should have planted the dataspike to the relay outside of Azazel’s place. I’m ready to take control of it the moment we come out. The program is set. All I have to do is activate it.”

Cas nodded and began to gather everyone’s empty plates. Sam thought it was a funny thing to do. If they all died, the dirty dishes wouldn’t matter. Another hush fell over the group, each of them reflecting on their own parts of the plan.

When Cas returned to the table, he began talking again. “So, after we land.”

“The three of us will head to the eastern most door, where the guards will be the thinnest.” Dean said, looking a little annoyed. After all, they’d been through this before. “I’ll take the stealth generator we bought from Maz and slip inside first, scouting for anyone who might sound the alarm. If someone tries to trigger an alarm, Charlie will handle it.”

Sam took over. “You and I will follow behind him and try to get to Azazel without causing an alarm.”

“If Eileen is still with Azazel, we will give her a signal and she will make ready cover Adam and fight if necessary. If she’s not there, we will contact Charlie.” Dean was leaning back with his arms crossed over his chest.

Charlie piped up. “I will locate Adam and Eileen inside the facility. If Adam has been locked up, we will leave him there until the fighting is over.” They hadn’t told Adam this part of the plan but all had agreed that if they could keep the boy from the fighting, they would. “I’ll contact Eileen to send her your way.”

Cas seemed satisfied. “Sam and I will engage Azazel. Dean and Eileen will handle any guards with Azazel and those who come as reinforcements.”

Everything relied on the element of surprise. That wasn’t what made Sam nervous, though. It was the thought of going against someone like Azazel with a lightsaber and the Force as he allies. He trusted in the Force but he was so new to it. He found his confidence in himself was lacking. As if sensing this, Cas laid a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “Would it make you feel better to look ahead?”

Sam had been doing this every few hours after they came up with the plan. Some of what he’d seen had helped them in plotting it, but beyond what they’d used the rest was very hazy. He shook his head after thinking it over. “I don’t think anything will have changed and it doesn’t feel right, Cas.”

The Jedi nodded, accepting this easily. “Then it likely isn’t the right action. Trust your instincts.”

Sam’s instincts were telling him that they were balancing on the edge of a knife.

Charlie got up from the table. “I’m going to the cockpit. I’ll give you all warning before we leave hyperspace.”

The rest nodded. Cas went back to Dean’s room to get ready.

Sam stood, thinking to do the same when Dean stopped him. “Wait.” His brother caught him by the shoulder but he didn’t say anything until it was just the two of them. “Look, Sammy. I’ve been thinking about what happens if I die.”

“Dean, we aren’t going to die.” Sam answered automatically, even if it was a wildly optimistic estimation of events.

Dean gave him a hard look. “Whatever. Look, here’s all the paperwork on Baby.” He shoved a datapad into Sam’s hand. “If I die, she’ll be yours. If we both die…. I’m leaving her to Adam.”

Sam nodded. He was a little surprised that Dean had thought this through but he kept those thoughts to himself. “What happens if all three of us bite it?”

“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that but if it does, she goes to Charlie.”

“Charlie, huh? Good choice.”

Dean snorted. “Glad you approve.”

“I’ll leave this with Charlie then.” Sam took it from Dean and walked it to Charlie’s room where he dropped it on her bed. It was strange that they both trusted her so much but in short time they’d known her, she’d become the little sister they’d never known they’d wanted.

He came out to find that Cas had rejoined Dean. He noted the Jedi, then did a double take. Cas was no longer wearing the ugly duster or any of his other civilian clothes. He was dressed now in a full suit of what was clearly durasteel Jedi armor, complete with the traditional brown hooded cloak over the top. Sam’s only frame of reference with the guy was that weird outfit and social awkwardness; however, the man standing before him gave off waves of confidence. More than that, he radiated danger. This was the core of the man’s being; the Jedi Master Castiel. Sam felt a sudden shot of pride that this was the man who was training him. He looked invincible.

It seemed Dean was equally as impressed. “Holy shit, Cas! Where did you get that?”

Cas smiled, running his fingers over the utility belt, which had his saber clipped to the side in full view. “From Meg. She sent it to Maz, who passed it on. Apparently she didn’t want to pay for my funeral.”

Dean snorted. “With friends like these…”

Cas squinted at Dean, head tilting in confusion. “Meg is a very good friend, Dean.”

Dean rubbed a soothing hand over Cas’s shoulder, looking as though he was feeling the armor plating beneath it. “I’m teasing, Cas. I’m sure Meg is a great friend.”

Sam wondered if Dean was feeling a little jealous. Again, it was something he kept to himself.

From the cockpit, an alarm sounded.

“We’re here.” Charlie called from over her shoulder.

Dean pushed passed him to head into the cockpit, where he slid in next to Charlie to take the controls. Moments later they burst into space with Belsavis before them.

“I’ve got control.” Charlie whispered, the blue windows spinning in front of her. “Head to the coordinates.”

Dean nodded and took Baby off autopilot and began the arduous process of cutting through the atmosphere and guiding the ship to a place that was well outside of the visual range of Azazel’s compound. There was a lurch as they touched the ground without guidance from a tower or the flat surface a docking bay.

Dean powered down the ship, leaving only what Charlie needed to run things from her end. She jumped up from her seat and caught him in a hard hug. “Be careful!” She let Dean go and grabbed Sam next. He found it amazing that someone so small could squeeze so hard.

Cas was next. Charlie whispered something in the Jedi’s ear and he nodded. When he stepped back, he kissed her forehead. “You have been one of my only friends, Charlie. Thank you.”

Charlie’s eyes filled with unshed tears but Cas moved away before she could hug him again. They all made their way to the exit. For better or for worse, it was time.


	21. The Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean still didn’t like the plan. Even as they left Baby behind them, moving over the landscape of abandoned buildings and snow, he wished there was another way. Couldn’t they just fly over the base and blow it to smithereens with Baby’s guns and maybe a few thermal detonators?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter to go - I think.

Dean still didn’t like the plan. Even as they left Baby behind them, moving over the landscape of abandoned buildings and snow, he wished there was another way. Couldn’t they just fly over the base and blow it to smithereens with Baby’s guns and maybe a few thermal detonators? Of course, he knew the answer to that – they would never be able to verify that Azazel was dead that way and he could come back later, this time pissed that they’d destroyed his hideout. He just wanted it to be over, preferably without risking the lives of those he loved.

Glancing at Cas, he tried not to think about the last time the two of them had gone into a fight together. The Jedi had nearly died. This time, the enemy they were facing was that much more dangerous. Cas had his armor now and looked badass but that only eased Dean’s worry so much. Worry was just something that Dean Winchester did. So sue him.

They made their way towards the compound, taking pains to stay in the shadows of the crumbling buildings and to avoid the wildlife. There were these big bug things on Belsavis called aklays and boy were those things nasty. Dean did not want to meet one in a dark alleyway. There were kintan too. Oh! And let’s not forget the wild rancor. All in all, Belsavis was a lovely little slice of hell on its own. Between avoiding the beasties and staying out of sight, it was a miracle that they made it to the eastern entry to the compound.

Charlie opened the door for them and Dean activated his stealth generator and slipped inside. He’d used one before, but it had been awhile so he had to move slowly and carefully. The place was at ease, which told Dean that so far their plan was working; no one was alerted to their arrival. He came to a courtyard and paused, taking a moment to give Sam and Cas the all clear to come this far. As he waited for the two men to catch up, he saw movement from the building they knew held Azazel. The doors opened and a guard came out, escorting a bound Adam between them. Eileen followed behind, her sharp eyes darting all over the compound. If she saw them, it didn’t show on her face. Dean watched as they marched into another building across the way.

Charlie’s voice buzzed in his ear. _‘They’ve taken Adam to the cells. They are locking him in now. He should be safe.´_

At least one of them would remain safe. Dean counted it as a win before he left the alleyway and made his way up the stairs that Eileen and the others just left. He snuck past the two guards posted at the entrance and made it inside. From there, he took a predetermined route to an unguarded door on the side of the building. It was supposed to be sealed but Charlie had broken the seal and unlocked it for them. Once the way was clear, Dean opened it so Sam and Cas could come inside.

Now that they were all inside, the hard part would start. There was no hiding three of them in the hallways. Charlie would be rerouting the video feeds to cover them from surveillance, but they would have to handle anyone else they met quickly and quietly. It was a good thing that Dean loved a challenge because the place was crawling with guards. He set his blaster to the stun setting and prepared to fight.

Dean led the way back down the hall, though he diverged off to the left into an open room where two men sat before a bank of monitors, watching several hallways where guards were stationed. He blasted one of them from behind, the stun setting taking effect to drop the man immediately. Sam rushed in the room behind him and quickly dispatched the other with a small blaster he’d had hidden on his person. Neither Sam nor Cas were using their lightsabers, which was probably a good thing, those things gathered a lot of attention.

Charlie let them know that she had control of this room and out they went. It was slow work. They methodically made their way down the hall they were in, ducking into rooms to avoid notice and incapacitating all they found, whether they’d been seen or not. The more guards they got now, the less they would have to face when they came to the main event. It became almost mind numbing, the same thing, over and over again. Still, Dean knew it was better than the alternative.

It wasn’t until they got farther into the building that things got out of hand. They were about to turn the corner when Dean heard voices. He tossed a hand up to stop Cas and Sam, then peaked around the corner where he found not one or two guards, but six all standing in a circle having a chat about something.

“….think he’s going to double cross her.” One guard was staying.

“I don’t think so. If he crosses the Mandalorians again, it’ll be on all of our heads.”

They were talking about double crossing Eileen. Dean opened the channel to Charlie, hoping she could hear them.

“I don’t know, man. If he doesn’t get rid of her, he’ll have hell to pay after what he pulled. Mandalorians don’t forget or forgive.”

“That’s true. I don’t want to lose my life for it.”

‘ _I hear them, Dean. I’ll warn Eileen.´_ Charlie’s voice was quiet in his ear.

Dean turned back to Cas and Sam, finally disengaging the stealth generator. “There are too many for me to get alone.” They were close to where they needed to be and honestly, they hadn’t expected to get this far without opposition. It seemed that the Force was on their side, that is, if he believed that it helped. The jury was still out on that one.

Cas considered for a moment. “We’ll go in together.” Thus decided, the Jedi passed Dean and turned the corner.

One of the guards gave a sharp shout of shock the moment he saw Cas. After that, there was the sound of a lightsaber activating. Dean turned the corner with his blaster up in time to see Cas parry two different blaster bolts, sending them back at the men who’d fired them. One went down in a heap.  He probably shouldn’t find that sexy in the middle of a fight, but he try telling that to his libido. Dean fired off two shots and took out two more of the guards. He was aware of Sam next to him, also firing into the group. They felled five of the six, but the last dove into a room to the left of the hallway.

It was clear that the guard had thought to activate the alarms, so his face was comical when they failed to go off.

“ _I got your back, bitches!”_ Charlie exclaimed over the com for their ears.

Sam actually chuckled. Of course, that’s when a second patrol rounded into their hallway. After a small firefight that ended with nothing more serious than a singe to Dean’s leather jacket (which Dean bemoaned), they moved on. There were two more skirmishes before they reached the stairs. On the second floor, there were fewer guards so they made better time though they had to be more careful to keep their movements under wraps. Finally they crept into the room they were looking for.

Azazel had set himself up in what had once been a banquet hall, a room that was large enough for audiences as if the man thought himself a king. Dean supposed that the man probably did see himself as the ruler of his own criminal empire. The room was ringed with a balcony that overlooked the goings on below. They were crouched beneath the railings out of sight, listening to the man himself.

“We’re in place.” Dean whispered to Charlie.

_“I see you. Eileen is also in place. Adam’s safe.”_ Charlie’s answer came right away. Dean looked to Cas and nodded. All three of them exchanged glances, and Dean touched the back of Sam’s hand. No words were exchanged but the meaning was clear; they all hoped to make it out the other side.

*****

Castiel felt nothing but calm and the Force. He had schooled his emotions to stillness and was plagued by nothing that had troubled him earlier.  So far, the Force had been kind to them. He wanted to believe that it would remain so, but Azazel had the dark side of the Force on his side. He would be formidable regardless of their excellent plan. He knew that a battle plan stayed in place until the first shots were fired. They’d done well in getting here. He dropped his head and felt the Force flow around him for a moment then looked to Sam and Dean.

“May the Force be with you.” He whispered before standing up to face Azazel.

“My goodness!” Azazel’s voice cut across the space. “If it isn’t the Winchester’s pet Jedi!” Despite his bravado, there was something in the man’s voice. Cas had a feeling that he hadn’t seen this coming. For a moment, he wondered how that could be so. Then, to Azazel’s left, a blue flicker appeared and grew into the shape of Mary Winchester. Suddenly it became clear to him. Azazel hadn’t known they were coming because Mary had been preventing him from doing so. How that was possible, he had no clue however; no one truly knew what a Force ghost could do because they were one with the Force. Apparently, blocking someone’s sight for the future was within her capabilities.

The appearance of the ghost drew Azazel’s focus from Cas. He whirled on the spirit. “You!” A smirk spread across his face. “It doesn’t matter. Your little surprise won’t change anything. You will all die!”

Before he could say another word, a pair of double doors across the room from Azazel burst open with an explosion that left twisted metal and smoke in its wake. Eileen stepped through the space opened by her explosives, a pair of blasters pointed into the room. “Not before we take a piece out of you.” She turned, firing both guns to pick off the guards on the left side of the room. They scrambled but none were a match for a fully trained Mandalorian.

To his right, Dean balanced a long sniper rifle that he had prepared during the explosion downstairs on the railing and began to pick off men on the right side of the hallway. Castiel glanced at Sam before he jumped the railing. He concentrated the Force into his fist so he slammed it into the floor at the end of the descent, sending a shock wave rolling across the floor that radiated out from his point of landing. Those caught in it fell to the ground. He heard Sam land behind him and engage the double bladed lightsaber. Together, the two Jedi crossed the chaos of the room bathed in the green and blue glow of the sabers. Azazel hastily drew one saber and then a second, when ignited they glowed as yellow as his eyes were.

Castiel took point and was the first to meet Azazel. Blue met yellow in rapid succession for several strikes before Sam was there. Azazel immediately changed tactics to strike at the younger Jedi, however, the smile slide from his face when his first two attacks were quickly blocked by Sam. In all truth, two Jedi against the Sith should have made it a short encounter but Azazel had clearly been walking with the Force for some time and was a master in his own right. He could hold his own against Castiel and still block Sam’s attacks from the side. Within moments, however, it became clear that he wouldn’t hold forever.

Growling in frustration, he shoved his hand out, hitting them both with a blast of the Force that sent both of them back several paces. “Alastair!”

A slender figure detached from the wall near the blasted out doors. “You rang, Master?”

“The boy is yours. Kill him but make him suffer first.” Azazel hissed, turning a wicked glare on the two of them. He seemed to want to watch them squirm.

“Adam!” Dean popped up from his perch and ran to follow.

Eileen was fully engaged with several guards and couldn’t get away to help. Castiel knew that Dean would need help, particularly if this Alastair was another Sith. They’d not known a thing about him! Cursing himself, he opened his mouth to command Sam to go.

Mary stepped between Azazel and the young man. Her eyes, however, bored into Castiel’s. _“This is Sam’s fight. Go to Adam.”_

He shook his head because leaving Sam would surely be the young man’s death.

“ _Go! I won’t let this monster take my sons. I’ve got a few things up my sleeve yet.”_ He could feel the Force swirling and buzzing around Mary’s form.

Castiel wasn’t convinced but he had to make a choice. Mere seconds had passed but any longer would lead to death. He took a breath and pulled to the Force and the he _saw._  The reality of what Mary would do flashed before his eyes and he made his choice. Taking first one step then a second, he grasped Sam’s forearm and met his gaze. “The Force _is_ with you Sam. ”

Mary’s glow brightened in the room until the entire space flicked with blue light. It was nearly blinding in its intensity. “ _Sam! Close your eyes!”_

Cas didn’t look to see if Sam obeyed. He turned and ran towards the door that Alastair had used to leave. Behind him, the feeling of the Force swirling around Mary intensified until it crackled in the room, making the small hair on his arms and the back of his neck stand on end.

“NO!” Azazel screamed.

Castiel didn’t look back as the energy hit the breaking point and Mary went up like a super nova.

*****

An explosion from the room behind him rocked Dean on his feet and he tumbled down several steps before he caught his balance again and continued to follow after the new guy, this Alastair. If he thought Dean Winchester was going to let that bastard get away with hurting one of his baby brothers, he had another think coming. Dean was going to pull his arms from the sockets if he so much as sneezed at Adam. He burst from the building and starting across the courtyard. He heard the clatter of steps behind him. He glanced to see Cas running quickly up to join him.

“What about Sam!”

“He has Eileen and Mary. Trust in the Force, Dean.” Cas said calmly as they ran. “And if you cannot do that, then trust in me that I would never leave him to fall.”

After a long breath, Dean gave a curt nod and ran on. He did trust Cas.

“If Alastair is a Sith, you will need me.” Cas continued as they reached the door of the prison. With no time left to lose, the Jedi wasted no time in cutting down the two guards at the door.

Dean snorted. “I do need you Cas, Sith or no.”

Next to him, Cas stumbled a pace at those words. He caught himself and stepped into the building. “I love you, Dean.” He whispered.

There was no more time left to talk. Dean took aim with his blaster pistol and picked off another guard stupid enough to put himself between them and Adam. They came to a cross section in the hallway but neither section contained much in the way of guards or any features that would identify it as the direction to Adam’s cell.

For a moment, Dean panicked, because the creepy minion Azazel sent for Adam already had a head start but then he remembered. “Charlie!”

_“I’m working on it, Dean.”_ Her voice came clearly over the com along with the faint sounds of typing. _“I’ve got him. He’s in the basement sublevel 3, block 2. This place is like a warren, I’ll guide you through. Take a left and go to the lift at the end of the hall.”_

Dean saw Cas take the left hall as directed and Dean was directly behind him. As they came to the lift, the lights overhead flickered once and then died. The emergency running lights flashed red above them.

“ _They’ve cut the power to the building. It’ll be okay, I’m rerouting it now. Take the stairs. They are the door to your right.”_

Dean pushed his way through the doors as Charlie directed and began to run down the stairs. He could hear the sounds of booted feet somewhere below them.

“I expect we are about to face heavy resistance.” Cas’s voice was soft behind him.

“Ya think?” Dean snorted, as he turned to the next flight of stairs. “It was bound to happen sometime.”

A dark shadow slipped around him and Dean felt the warm brush of Cas’s body against his as the Jedi pushed passed him. “Dammit, Cas!”

“My senses are sharper in the dark.” Cas answered his protest as he went on, now ahead of Dean.

Dean tried to mollify himself that he could see a little better with the blue glow of Cas’s saber, but it wasn’t working. He kept having flashes of Cas with the hole in his side and collapsing to the floor of the ship. His heart hammered the further down the stairs they got. He should have said more to Cas last night.. he should have… Dean shook the thoughts off. It was the sort of distraction that got people killed. He promised himself that the moment they got out of this mess and were safely on the ship, he would pull Cas in his arms and use his words to tell him how he felt. He’d do anything to make sure that they both got there. With that decided, he caught up until he was only a step behind Cas. It was then that he saw the flash of a gun and touched the Jedi’s shoulder. Their eyes met under the red light and both nodded.

As they suspected, the guards had made a stand on the level above where they were going. They’d barricaded the stairway as much as they could and were clustered on the landing and down the next set of stairs. The moment they rounded the bend, Cas jumped down to the level and hit the ground in the middle of the guards with that weird concussive force that knocked a good many of them down. (Dean had no clue how he was doing it, but he had to admit that it was pretty hot.) Once the guards were on the ground they were easy pickings for Dean. He cleaned up with his blaster while Cas blazed the trail before them. They wasted no time because they knew they had little. The barricade only slowed them down by a matter of minutes. They burst out onto the level they needed in cell block one, then raced through the halls that made the block. Dean was ahead now, his blaster trained forward so he could easily take care of anyone in their way.

The moment they rounded the hall into Block 2, they heard where Adam was. A raw scream rent the air, drawing Dean frantically forward. The sound was easy to follow. They came to a sealed door, Dean hammered on the door panel but without power, nothing at all happened. Cas stood next to him and brought his saber up, clearly ready to attack the door with it.

“ _Wait!”_ Charlie’s voice made Cas pause. “ _I’m going to open the door for you.”_ Even as she said it, the door slide open before them.

Adam lay strapped onto a table. He’d been stripped of his shirt and his skin looked as if it had been burned in long slanting lines. At his side, a thin man with grey hair stood by with a short bladed light-saber in his hand. He turned towards them and tsked.

“I was just beginning to have fun.” The man drawled as he turned away from Adam. “No matter. It won’t take me long to get back to it.”

Dean fired three shots at Alastair, but the man easily deflected each shot, sending them bouncing on the ceiling. Cas was on the man next, attacking him with his saber. The thing Alastair was fighting with was short bladed and glowed red, the two blades hissed and sparked each time they met before Alastair blasted Cas away with a flip of his hand. Cas hit the corner of the room but was climbing to his feet again however, Alastair was advancing on Dean. He fired several more shots, his teeth grinding in frustration as each one was deflected away into the room. Nothing seemed to touch the guy.

Alastair laughed as he swiped the blaster from Dean’s hand. “Dean, was it? We are going to have such a good time together.” The man’s smile sent cold waves of fear through his gut, but perhaps that had more to do with the fact that Dean couldn’t breathe. He reached for his throat but could find nothing, Alastair wasn’t touching him in the slightest. He took a swipe at him, and when the man stepped out of the way, Dean launched himself at him. They collided bodily, falling to the ground in a heap. The invisible fingers snapped away from his neck and Dean pulled in a huge gasp of air.

On the ground, Alastair was laughing. “Dean. Dean, Dean, Dean, Dean.” He shook his head as he sat up. “You had to know it couldn’t be that easy.” He jumped to his feet and blocked the swipe Cas sent his way. He frowned at the Jedi. “You are just an annoyance.”

“Then kill me.” Cas gritted out through clenched teeth.

“If you insist. It’ll give me more time to spend with Dean and his lovely little brother.” The Sith turned to Cas and the two began to fight in earnest. Dean could scarcely keep up with the strikes of the blades despite the flash of blue and red each time the sabers moved or met. What he could tell was that Alastair was slowly pushing Cas back. Dean felt another cold stab of fear and began to examine the way the man fought. He seemed to watch all around, so the moment Dean tried to rescue his blaster, Alastair threw the short red saber at him. It had arched over his head and whirled back to the man. Cas had redoubled his attack and taken all of Alastair’s attention once more.

_Fine._ Dean didn’t need a blaster to be dangerous. He stayed low to the ground and crawled beneath the table where Adam was bound. He released the bands that held the boy and helped Adam roll off the table. He motioned Adam to stay still beneath the table and ducked around the head of the table. He stayed crouched there, watching the slash and parry of the two men locked in battle before him as he bent to his boot and released the small vibroblade he always kept there. He was watching, waiting for an opening, any opening at all when Cas caught his eye. Dean couldn’t say what passed between them in that moment, he knew exactly what he needed to do. He stood up and stepped away from the table as Cas ducked under a swipe of Alastair’s blade and kicked out low, his boot connecting with the man’s legs. Alastair stumbled back a pace or two, laughing.

“You are fighting so hard, my little Jedi. It must hurt your pride to know you are going to lose.” The man caught himself on the corner of the table to stop his stumble. Dean struck, plunging his knife into Alastair. The man jerked in an attempt to get away, so it hit him in the side, sliding between his ribs.

A bubbling laugh burst from Alastair, along with a cough that brought up blood. “Dean.” He gasped, grinning at him with blood on his teeth. “I knew the little dog had teeth.” He lurched towards Dean, bring his saber forward. There was a sharp buzz of blue and then the smell of burning flesh as Cas took the man’s hand off. The red saber winked out as it touched the ground. Alastair laughed again, looking at the smoking stump. “I told you we would have fun.”

Dean twisted the blade in Alastair’s side before he ripped it out. “Shut up.” Alastair threw back his head and laughed. Something burned in Dean’s mind as he listened to the madness of it. “Shut. The. Fuck. Up.” This time when he surged forward, the blade hit the man in the center of his breast and when Dean put his weight behind it, it plunged directly into Alastair’s heart. The laughter died on his lips as the man fell to a heap at Dean’s feet.

Stunned, Dean looked at Cas. He was singed in several places, but it seemed that the fancy armor Meg had given him had done its work. The Jedi came to his side and ran his fingers over Dean’s face and his arms.

“Are you okay?” Even breathless, there was something stirring about Cas’s rough voice.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Dean promised, then turned to draw Adam out from under the table. “Let’s get him out of here.”

Supporting Adam between them, Dean and Cas led the boy out of the cell. Neither man looked back at the corpse on the floor.


	22. Eclipse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the purple light sparked, jumping from his fingers to the fallen man, he could hear a heady whisper in his ear. It promised endless power at his disposal. He could use it to protect his family; to save everyone. _Yes._ He needed it. He felt his world expand as he breathed it in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter to go.

The light Mary had emitted before she’d exploded had left tracers in Sam’s vision and his ears were ringing. He could scarcely hear at all when he pushed himself up from a field of twisted pieces of metal. The building itself rumbled ominously above his head and a piece of the balcony broke off and hit the ground to his immediate left. Sam searched the room though it was hard in the smoke and dust that had been stirred up from the concussive force that had radiated out from where his mother’s spirit had been. As the air cleared, he could see the scorched floor where she’d been but no Azazel. His eyes searched the room and fixed on Eileen as she stood up from where she’d fallen, having been knocked off of her feet. Still, she wasn’t stunned for long. Within moments, she was aiming her blasters and taking out Azazel’s men before they could even get off the ground.

_Right_. Sam took a deep breath and took a couple of steps forward. _This is up to me now._ He couldn’t deny that his stomach was tied in knots as he thought of facing the man who held off both he and Cas at once. How was he supposed to do this on his own? Firming his jaw, he remembered that Cas had faith in him. His mom had faith in him. He continued forward. Through the wreckage and dust, he saw Azazel standing with one arm hanging useless at his side. Blood leaked from a wound at the man’s scalp and seemed to be running into his left eye. As he got closer, he saw that not only was their blood but Azazel’s skin was raw and blistered all over from burns that went bone deep in some places. Sam had no clue how he was still standing upright.

The man sneered at him as he got closer. “It doesn’t matter how badly your poor dead mommy hurt me. One such as you won’t beat me. You’ll die to my saber.” Never mind that the man was down one blade and Sam still had two; he certainly had the experience to back it up.

Sam didn’t let himself be intimidated. He knew how much was riding on his shoulders. His brothers were counting on him. Cas was counting on him. Charlie and Eileen were counting on him. He would see this through even if it killed him. “Bring it.” He tossed the defiant words out like a challenge as he ignited both ends of the green saber. He held it horizontally in front of him, ready to defend anything Azazel threw at him.

The man didn’t wait. He charged forward, moving faster than Sam would have expected a man so badly burned to move. He struggled to get his saber up but he did, deflecting the blow. He was aware of Eileen’s blaster and the sounds of men screaming as they were killed in the room. He couldn’t bring himself to care how many the bounty hunter killed, he knew she had his back. He focused on Azazel as the Sith launched into a flurry of blows, each one pushing him back, but none breaking through. Sam struck at him when he could but he threw his efforts into defense for now. With as badly hurt as the other man was, he didn’t think that it would be too long before the man tired. Sam was much younger and could hold out.

The frustration on the older man’s face was clear as he intensified his attacks, bombarding Sam more and more with every breath. Sam could do this. He was sure he could do this; it was just a matter of being patient. That felt right to him and he was sure that the Force was with him and would stay with him.

Then Azazel stopped paying fair. At first it was object that he sent flying at Sam, creating one more thing that he had to deal with. That only worked for so long because once Sam saw how it was done, he began to toss the objects away with the Force. That made Azazel even more frustrated. Sam could see the man’s teeth as he ground them in frustration. He felt a little thrill and pressed the attack forward, beating the Sith back several paces.

Sam never saw the next thing coming. In the blink of the eye, the Sith changed gears and turned to Eileen. With a wave of his hand he flung the bounty hunter against the wall. She hit the metal with a pained release of breath and then began to choke. She clawed at her throat, her face turning red as her air supply was cut off. Sam didn’t know what the man was doing. He could feel the Force, feel the twisting of it but didn’t know how to stop it. He ran at Azazel but was thrown back by the man’s other hand flinging the Force at him. Sam began to panic as Eileen struggled. She wouldn’t last long. She’d had his back, she’d protected him and he was going to watch her die.

Something hard twisted in Sam and pushed forward to the surface. The Force rolled and swirled around him. He felt as if it were running through his fingers and all he had to do was curl his fist around it and take it. So he did. Power blasted through Sam, running like electric from head to toe. He could feel his hair standing on end as it gathered in his grasp. Then he released it, using all the power to strike at Azazel. Bright purple streaks of electricity burst from his finger tips and struck the Sith in the chest, blowing him off of his feet.

Eileen slumped to the ground, her hands still at her throat and she drew in a huge breath of air. While relieved she was alright, Sam knew it wasn’t over. With his sights on Azazel, he stepped forward. Lightning was still arching over the man as it left his body and grounded into the floor beneath him. The Sith’s eyes were wide and his lips parted to emit ragged breaths. Sam didn’t intend to give him time to recover. He used the power that raged at him to strike at him again. As the purple light sparked, jumping from his fingers to the fallen man, he could hear a heady whisper in his ear. It promised endless power at his disposal. He could use it to protect his family; to save everyone. _Yes_. He needed it. He felt his world expand as he breathed it in.

“Sam!”

The voice cut through his reverie and he whipped his head around to see Dean and Cas in the door. Dean looked horrified when Sam used the power to strike Azazel yet again.

“I can stop him, Dean!” He shouted as he turned back to the Sith, power roaring in his ears.

“Sam.” Cas’s voice was quiet, but Sam heard. “If you don’t control the Force, it will use you like a slave.” There was something sad in the Jedi’s voice that it gave him pause.

“Sammy, there’s always another way.” Dean called to him, hands out to forestall him.

Sam turned, looking to Eileen and then Azazel. The power had let him save Eileen but something tugged at him, telling him that this was wrong. That power wasn’t the answer, not if he sold his soul for it. Sobered, he shook his head and felt the power slide away from him, draining out of him as the smell of burned flesh rose in his nostrils. What exactly had he done? He wasn’t sure but now that it was pointed out to him, he could feel the wrongness of it.

Next to him, Eileen had pushed herself up and was sitting. Her eyes searched his and her lips formed words that he couldn’t hear. Maybe she wasn’t speaking at all, but he saw them anyway. _“I believe in you.”_

Sam’s shoved the rest of the power from him and reached for the Force that he knew. It came to him easily with a shock of warning. He didn’t stop to process it, he whirled the double bladed saber to his left, spinning a circle as he turned. It connected with something solid and there was a brief pause as he pushed against it. His saber came free as he realized that he’d just cut through Azazel’s middle. The Sith looked at him with surprised eyes as the yellow saber fell from his fingers. Sam didn’t stop, he redirected the saber and with a smooth flourish, swiped it through the man’s neck as his body fell. Azazel’s head rolled away as the man collapsed in a heap. It was over.

*****

The way back to the ship was made much easier by Charlie moving it to them. It seemed that the death of their boss had driven Azazel’s men to run and what few were left in the compound were easily taken down by the blasters that Dean and Eileen had. They loaded up Adam onto Baby where Eileen and Charlie saw to his wounds with the spare medpacks that they kept in their first aid kit. Dean wandered into the cock pit and dropped into the chair, seeming not to know where to go for the moment. Cas had waited at the door until he could find a moment alone with Sam.

The young Jedi caught his eyes and approached with shoulders slumping. Together, they walked to Sam’s room. When the door shut behind them, the younger man turned to Cas. “What happens now? Am I… have I…will I become a Sith now?”

Cas looked at the sheer amount of worry in Sam’s eyes and let out a breath he hadn’t realized that he’d been holding in. “No, Sam. That you are concerned at all shows that you haven’t lost to the dark side.” He hadn’t been sure what the outcome would be and if he was honest, Castiel was relieved. Sam was a good person. He’d not wanted him to turn from them.

Sam let out a relieved breath. “Good…” He blinked, sitting heavily down on his bed. “Good.”  He ran his fingers through his shaggy hair. “I… he was killing Eileen. I don’t know how but he was choking her. I… I had to do something.” He looked up at Cas, his hazel eyes pleading.

“I know, Sam.” Cas understood. He thought that perhaps if he’d been left to make the same choice, he might have done the same, particularly if the person he was saving was Dean. “I think… as long as we find balance, we have nothing to fear.”  When he uttered the words, he felt their veracity. “To use the dark side continually would be to fall. But we can’t live as the Jedi insisted we do so – not if we want to hang onto the life and the love we feel. I’m beginning to see that now.” He looked up at the young Jedi and saw understanding reflected back at him. “I don’t know if this it right… it’s a new path but I’m willing to take it. You don’t have to follow.”

“I think you are right.” Sam said after a long moment of thought. “We need the people around us. We need their love and support to get through life. There just has to be a balance for us. Between what we love and what we do.”

“I think so.” Cas agreed. He knew it wouldn’t be as easy as the conversation indicated. He suspected they would each struggle from time to time but if they stayed true and supported each other, they would get through it.

“Good.” Sam whispered as he dropped his head into his hands.

Cas reached out to squeeze the younger man’s shoulder. “You need to rest Sam. Today was very hard for you.”

“Yeah.” Sam didn’t move from where he was.

Cas stepped back and turned to go, then paused as he thought of something. “You did so very well today.”

Sam looked up and smiled. “Thanks, Cas.”

With a nod, Cas turned and left the young Jedi to his rest.

When he came into the common area it was to see Adam sitting between Charlie and Eileen with a bemused expression on his face. Both women seemed intent on spoiling him since he had emerged as the most injured. Cas passed them and went into the cockpit. He sat in the co-pilot’s seat next to Dean.

For a time, both men remained quiet. Finally, Dean broke the silence. “Is Sam alright?” He didn’t look at Castiel, almost as if he was afraid to.

“Yes, Dean. Sam is alright.”

Now Dean looked at him. His expression began to clear. “He’s not… you know.”

Cas shook his head. “No, he’s not. You have nothing to fear. Your brother is too good at heart to become a Sith.” Of course, Cas knew that good men could turn, but he believed in Sam, in the goodness that seemed to exist at the heart of both Winchester brothers.

Dean sighed, seeming just as relieved as Sam had been. “Good.” He closed his eyes, breathing slow and deep for several minutes. A comfortable quiet stretched between them. Neither man moved, their eyes to the gray skies of Belsavis. It began to snow. Cas settled back in the chair and reached across the short space that separated them. His fingers brushed the back of Dean’s hand. The smuggled turned it over and laced their fingers together. Sighing, Cas closed his eyes. For these few seconds, all was right in his world. It didn’t matter that they had nowhere to go; that the galaxy was against them and death waited at every turn. What they had was now.

He had no clue how long they sat together before Dean broke the silence. “Is Mom gone?”

“Yes, I think so.” Cas hadn’t known a spirit could exert so much power through the Force. “What she did was amazing, Dean. She gave us a fighting chance. She saved us.”  He paused. “I shouldn’t have doubted her.”

Dean nodded. “It’s okay. I doubted her too.” He chewed his lip thoughtfully. “I guess in the end, the dead shouldn’t cling to life so hard.”

“Probably not.” Cas agreed with him, squeezing his love’s hand tightly.

Dean turned to face Cas once more. “I hope she found peace.”

“She did.” Cas had no doubt. “She saved her sons and that’s all she wanted.”

“Yeah.” Dean leaned into the aisle and kissed him. “Thanks, Cas.”

Cas parted his lips to give his reply when something on the instrument panel chirped. Dean turned from him, activating the screen and read.  Then he began to power up the consoles. “It’s from Bobby. I know where we are going now. Tell the others to get ready to leave Belsavis.” With that, his lover was absorbed by preparing for takeoff so Castiel got up to pass on the message.

*****

It took longer than he wanted for them to get ready to leave. Eileen had to be taken to her ship. There was a tense few moment when she seemed to be about to leave them for good. Adam kicked up a fuss, stating that he’d thought she was family and she couldn’t leave. Then Sam had come out and had looked at her with his soulful eyes for a little too long.

“I understand if you want to go, but I’d like it if you stayed.” The shaggy haired wookie of a man had said and the bounty hunter had caved and had gotten the coordinates from Dean. Adam had skipped off to ride along with her. Charlie stayed with them because she got her own room that way.

Dean breathed another sigh of relief once they broke the atmosphere of Belsavis and hit hyperspace for their next destination. He switched on the autopilot and left the cockpit behind. Charlie gave him a wave and excused herself to head into her room. Sam was already asleep, having gone back to bed after Eileen and Adam had left. Left to his own devices, Dean sought out Cas. He had something to say.

He found the Jedi sitting on the edge of the bed they shared. He had taken off his robe and the shiny armor and was currently cleaning the burn marks from the breast plate. Dean hadn’t even seen Cas get hit but by the number of dents and streaks on the metal, he could tell that it had happened. He promised himself to send this Meg a really nice gift. He’d have to ask Cas what she’d like.

Cas smiled at him when he entered the room. Dean was nervous about what he was going to say, however, seeing that smile seemed to wipe it all away. He walked over to Cas and picked up the clean breastplate. “You can finish later.” He walked it over to where the other pieces of armor were stored and put it down.

 He found Cas’s eyes on him when he turned around. “Is everything okay, Dean?”

“Yeah, Cas. Everything is great.” Dean returned to the bed and sat down next to the Jedi. “Azazel’s dead, we’re alive, and Sammy didn’t go all darkside and leave us.”

“Then why are you nervous?” Cas’s fingers brushed over his cheek.

Dean covered Cas’s hand with his own and leaned in for a kiss. The warmth of their lips touching gave him strength. He considered deepening the kiss and just diving in, but he needed to say this so he pulled back. “It’s just… I wanted to say..” His voice dropped low and he spoke a little quieter. “I love you.”

Cas’s expression softened in the seconds before he pressed their lips back together. The kiss was short but sweet. “I know. I can feel it in you. You didn’t have to say it, Dean.”

Dean was torn between indignation and an odd sense of relief; if Cas had died, he would have gone knowing how Dean felt. Of course, he didn’t like thinking it and brought himself back to the conversation. “I needed to tell you. It’s important you hear it from me.”

“Thank you, Dean. It means a lot to me. I know how hard it was for you to say that.”

“Yeah.” Dean looked down at the carpet beneath his feet, scuffing his toe along the fabric. “So.. um… I was wondering…”

Cas’s attention was back on him. He was squinting with that confused look that Dean found so adorable. He knew that the Jedi had followed his train of thought when his expression cleared. “You would like to be intimate now?”

Dean snorted a laugh. “Yeah, I’d like to have sex with you. I want... I want to feel you inside of me.”

He could see Cas’s surprise before it melted away into approval. “I would like that. You’ll have to be patient with me…”

“I know it’s your first time, man.” Dean assured as he reached for the utility belt that Cas wore and opened it up. He was pleased to find that the tunic top began to open on its own. With a smile, he ran his lips over the Jedi’s throat while his hands moved to push the cloth over those shoulders. He kissed each inch of exposed flesh, reveling in the whispered moans that got a little bit louder with each kiss. He wanted to show Cas how much he meant to him and if he had to worship the man’s body to do that, then so be it. He gave himself to the action, his lips coasting over shoulders and down arms, then over the broad expanse of muscled chest. He paused for a long moment over each nipple, bathing them in attention before he moved. He found that Cas’s sides were ticklish and drew a perverse delight from making the serious man giggle like a child. They laughed over the lengthy process of removing the Jedi’s boots as well. It was so easy with Cas.

He turned serious again when he began to remove the loose pants that Cas wore, tugging them down over the sharp jut of hipbone that begged for the touch of his lips. He had no idea how long he spent between the two, only that it was quite a while and that Cas was panting and his eyes burning with want when Dean had finished. Cas tugged at his shoulders, trying to pull him back up but Dean resisted, instead he pushed the Jedi down onto the bed. Cas fell back easily and raised his hips to allow Dean to remove the rest of his clothing. When he lay fully naked beneath Dean, the smuggler devoted himself to kissing every inch of the rest. He focused on thickly muscled thighs, then knees and calves and feet. He noted all the areas that made Cas’s breath hitch and pulled moans from him. When he traveled back up the other leg, giving it equal amounts of his attention, Cas’s fingers were curled into the sheets and his cock was purpled and leaking.

Dean licked his lips, ready to dive in to taste the precome leaking from the slit when Cas grabbed his shirt and pulled him up harshly. Their lips crashed together and Cas took his mouth roughly, taking over in an instant with demanding tongue and desperate fingers. His clothes were removed roughly from his body, the seams straining against the force with which Cas pulled them off of him. By the time they were both naked the kiss had dissolved to wild panting that shared breath between them.

“You want me to… I want to last.” Cas’s voice was rough, his lips against Dean’s ear when he spoke. Dean nodded as Cas pushed him back and leaned over him. The Jedi’s hand wrapped around his cock and gave it a slow stroke, wrist twisting at the end. Dean thrust his hips up into Cas’s hand; he was every bit as hard and aching as his lover was, he just had been holding it back. Now that Cas had his hands on him, Dean let himself feel it. He bucked under those hands, desperate now for the heat of those hands. Cas didn’t disappoint. His touch seemed to be everywhere, worshipping with the warmth of skin on skin the way Dean had done with lips. Now that it was over, they had all the time in the world and it showed in the way they touched each other, each savoring the other’s body.

When Cas came up for air, it was only to dig the lube out of the drawer where Dean had stashed it last. The sound of the cap snapping open cut through the ragged sound of their breathing. Dean watched Cas slick up his fingers and groaned when he felt them press against his hole. He pushed his hips back into the touch, needing to feel his body breached. The feeling was indescribable when Cas pushed past his rim, he couldn’t remember it ever feeling so good before but somehow, when Cas touched him, everything else ceased to matter. He watched every move Cas made as he plunged fingers in and carefully worked to stretch him open. Dean didn’t keep track of what his lover was doing, he only watched the heat in those blue eyes and gasped each time those fingers brushed his prostate.

Finally, it just wasn’t enough anymore. He grabbed at Cas’s shoulders, his fingers tingling from the pleasure that still reverberated over his body with each stroke of those fingers. “I’m ready. I need you.”

Dean felt empty when Cas pulled his fingers out and was grateful when it only lasted a bare moment before the head of his cock pressed into him. Cas took his time sinking into Dean’s body, his fingers light on Dean’s hips as he guided himself in. The moment he was fully buried inside, Cas leaned forward and brought their lips together. The intervening moments while Dean adjusted were lost to heated kisses as each tried to devour the other. It was Dean who pushed them onwards, rolling under Cas to make his lover move. He couldn’t help but savor a little thrill when Cas threw his head back and moaned.

“You’re so tight, Dean.” Cas’s voice was breathless as he drew his hips back then pressed them back in. The next thrust was harder but not fast; Cas fucked him slowly but with an intensity that Dean could feel all the way into his bones. He’d never experienced anything like it before and he found himself pulling his thighs back, deliberately trying to send the Jedi’s dick deeper into his body. Cas’s hands curled beneath his thighs, helping him to hold the position as he thrust in and out of Dean’s body, pulling back so far that each time he drew away Dean feared he’d slip out. At the final moment, Cas pushed all the way back in, their hips slamming together with a slap that resounded in the room.

He thought he could go on like this forever, with stars exploding behind his eyelids each time Cas touched his prostate with every stroke but Dean soon found that while he wanted it to last, his body had other ideas. The orgasm snuck up on him, one moment he was savoring another bone jarring thrust and then next he was flooding come between their bodies. Cas had never touched his cock, not even once. He was screaming Cas’s name as he shook beneath him, his toes curling with the intensity of the pleasure that washed over him.

Above him, Cas groaned and sped his hips, in those last crystalline seconds, he let himself go and gave  Dean everything he had left. Dean felt the moment the Jedi fell over the edge with him, his cock spurting hot inside of him. Cas fucked them both through it, then his weight fell down on Dean. Dean couldn’t bring himself to care as he ran his finger through Cas’s dark messy hair and rained kissed down on lips that were still slack and eyes that were closed.

Dean drifted, and when he came to himself again, he was on his side with Cas plastered to his back. Apparently in the time, Cas had cleaned them both up and tucked them into bed. The steady warm breath against the back of his neck told him that the Jedi still slept. He covered Cas’s hands with his own and smiled when the man pulled him in tight. Was there anything better than this? Dean doubted he’d ever find it.

Behind him, Cas stirred. Lips touched Dean’s ear. “I love you Dean.”

Dean sighed in absolute contentment. “I know.”


	23. New Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bobby stopped Dean before he got two steps away. “Look, it ain’t what you imagined your life to be, but unless you plan on leaving both Sam and Cas behind, it’s what you’ve got to do. Even then it ain’t safe. You are now known to accompany Jedi.”
> 
> Dean sighed. It was true.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it! I considered writing an epilogue but I think things are good as they are. If you are here, reading this, then I thank you so very much for indulging my fantasy. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Until next time,  
> ~Neal

There were lush forests as far as the eye could see. Dean had followed the coordinates Bobby had given them and had found a clearing that was just big enough to set Baby down. They didn’t go through the space port and Charlie had made certain that they weren’t noticed when they passed through the planet’s atmosphere. Now that they were on the planet surface, Dean had no clue what they were going to do there. He said as much to Bobby.

“Boy, we’re out in the sticks. Ain’t no Imperial presence on Dantooine. It’s too far out for Palpatine to care.” Bobby cuffed him good naturedly as he wandered away towards the ship that had brought him, Ellen, and Jo to the planet. The thing looked like Bobby had welded it together out of parts from the salvage yard. Maybe he had. Dean didn’t want to know. Instead, he followed after the old man.

“What are we going to do here, Bobby?” They were so far away from civilization of any kind and Dean was used to trotting around the galaxy to make money. Of course, he also didn’t see how they were going to get the supplies they needed in the first place. Worrying about money likely was counterproductive when there was nowhere to spend that money.

“Don’t get your panties in a twist.” Bobby snorted as he walked to the open hatch of his makeshift ship, where Ellen and Jo were loitering. “There’s plenty of jobs that need doing. They might not be what you are used to but they’ll get us what we need.”

Honestly, Dean wasn’t sure how he felt about that. He didn’t have time to truly process that because Adam and Sam burst out of the trees and skidded to a halt before them. Both were winded but smiling.

“Dean! There’s a small city that isn’t too far from here!” Adam’s cheeks were stained pink with excitement. Of all of them, the young boy was the most comfortable with the changes their lives were taking. Of course, he was the youngest and had yet to train into a career of any kind.

Sam was a little more sedate in his answer. “Cas found a network of caves that is big enough to hide all the ships if we so desired.”

Dean grunted in reply. He turned to Bobby again. “So what? We are going to farm?”

Bobby shrugged.

Behind them, Ellen appeared in the doorway at the top of the gang plank. “One of you go get Cas. It’s time to eat.”

“I’ll do it.” Dean volunteered as both Sam and Adam ran up the gangplank and went inside.

Bobby stopped Dean before he got two steps away. “Look, it ain’t what you imagined your life to be, but unless you plan on leaving both Sam and Cas behind, it’s what you’ve got to do. Even then it ain’t safe. You are now known to accompany Jedi.”

Dean sighed. It was true. Across the galaxy they were marked and moving around was risky. “Ellen will be pissed if I don’t come back with Cas soon.”  He shook off Bobby’s hand and wove his way through the trees.

*****

Castiel found that he quite liked Dantooine, at least what he had seen of it. They’d come into the planet last night and he’d had only minimal time to explore, however, today had given him plenty to see as he’d wandered around the forest and to the small ridge of mountains nearby. Finding the cave was almost serendipitous but then, Cas was beginning to believe that the Force had guided them there on purpose. Everything about the place felt right. (Also, there was plenty of farmland beside the forest and after a lifetime of fighting; he thought farming sounded like a great idea.)

He was sitting, legs crossed, under a tree near the cavern when Dean found him. He’d known his lover was coming and had felt that odd tug he always felt around Dean, as if the two of them were connected somehow. He smiled the moment the smuggler came into sight. “Hello, Dean.”

“Hey, Cas.” Dean crossed over to him until he stood directly in front of the Jedi. He was so close that the toes of his boots nearly touched Cas’s shins. “Ellen says you need to come in to eat.”

“Is it time already?” He’d lost track of what he was doing and when it was. This wasn’t altogether surprising.

“Yes.” Dean chuckled. “You’ve been out here all day.” The man offered his hand out to help Cas up.

“Apologies.” He took Dean’s hand and stood up. He didn’t need the help, he just wanted to touch Dean. Together they walked through the forest and back towards the ships. Castiel immediately sensed something amiss as they moved between the trees. “What is troubling you, Dean?”

Dean flicked a look to him from the corner of his eye, and then sighed. Some of the tension in the man’s shoulders drained out. “I don’t know what to do here, Cas. Out there, in the galaxy, I knew what my place was, where my money came from, what I was supposed to do. I don’t know any of that now. I get that we should stay here for you and Sam but I… I’m lost.”

Cas nodded as he listened. “There’s nothing that says we have to stay here all the time, Dean.”

Dean stopped, looking at Cas with some surprise. “Won’t the Empire..?”

“Not if we are careful and I promise, I know how to be. I can teach Sam that.” He stepped up to the smuggler, looking deep into his green eyes. Even in the depths of the forest, there was no color that was their match for beauty. “We’d have to stay in the Outer Rim where the Imperial reach is small, but I think we can manage.”

Dean’s expression brightened. “I suppose I could keep doing what I do to help support whatever life we build here.”

“Yes, we would need you to.” Cas had an understanding that Dean needed to be useful, but moreover, the words were true. The smuggler would need to keep working to help them until they put together a self-sufficient settlement. “Maybe not as much as before but some; we’ve got Eileen to help with that too.”

“I bet Charlie could change the transponder codes and we could even leave Baby at the nearest spaceport.” Dean’s eyes were beginning to sparkle as he considered the possibilities. “Then we’d just head out when we had a good job lined up. No more small time shit.”

“Exactly.” Cas loved Dean’s enthusiasm and couldn’t help himself; he had to taste it and so leaned forward to touch their lips together. He’d meant for it to be a peck, but Dean opened for him and he deepened the kiss without thinking. They lost a few moments exploring each other’s mouths. When they’d broken away from each other again, he continued. “We have a good contact too. That will help.”

“A contact? Who?” Dean took his hand and began to pull him back towards the ships once more.

“Meg.” Castiel had thought about it and felt it was a good way to keep in touch with his friend. She must have some serious connections if she could manage to get something to him across the galaxy and without being told where he would be. “I’m sure she’ll help us find work and keep off the Empire’s radar.”

“Huh.” Dean grunted, and then turned a smile on Cas. “Cool.” They were quiet for the remainder of their walk, right up until the ships came into view. It was Dean that broke the silence. “I think this is going to work.”

“This?” Cas couldn’t tell which this he meant.

“All of it. You, Me, Us… the whole Jedi training thing. Living in the sticks. You know, this.” Dean grinned as he tugged Cas one more time towards the rusted heap that Bobby called a ship.

“Yes, I think you are right Dean. This is going to work.” Castiel smiled when Dean patted him on the ass then grabbed his hand and force marched him into the ship and dinner. There had never been a time when Castiel dreamed he would have a lover and a family on his own. However, now that he had both, he’d decided that it surely was the will of the Force and if not, then perhaps he was simply the luckiest Jedi in the galaxy. Either way, he wasn’t going to question it. He followed Dean into the ship and to dinner with his family, knowing that in all the universe, he was exactly where he belonged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I thought Dantooine was a good place to leave these guys. Maybe in a few years they join the rebellion after the base is built. Who knows? 
> 
> I've considered writing a time stamp for Eileen and Sam though I don't know what that would look like, yet. It'll happen when it does. Be well and thanks again. 
> 
> May the Force be with you.


End file.
